I'll Bet a Million Dollars it's all a Dream!
by Ophie
Summary: This is a L/J fic, it's about, well, yeah, Lily and James, obviously. I know theres half a million fics about them out there, but it would be ducky if you read mine too!
1. I'll Bet a Million Dollars it's all a Dr...

A/N I WAS going to write this from the train station, I WANTED to! But I figured we all know what happens at the train station, and it's pointless for me to write it when at least 50 others authors could do a much better job of it than me. So I am writing what I know (partially, anyways) and it's going to be much better. It's an L/J fic, and it's rather fluffy. I think I need to work on my romance, so this is my gunie-pig!!!!! 

Getting minimal reviews is a confidence booster. I can write whatever the hell I want, and not be afraid. If no one reads it, no one can criticize me!

Lily Evans sighed and looked around at her fellow students, who were all looking at Professor Barre with apprehension

"As I was saying, you will be working in groups of five or six students, not necessarily your friends. This is a big project, and if you blockheads mess it up" here he looked pointedly at the Gryffindors "You'll all fail Potions." The class gasped at the unfairness of the situation as he began to read names off of a list.

This was exactly what Lily had been worried about. She was horrible at talking to people, she never knew what to do with her hands and her body. She had an especially hard time talking to boys. Her face went as red as her hair if one so much as said hello to her. Plus, she said the stupidest things. Like "I Know" when really she had no clue.

"Won't this be great?!" exclaimed her best friend Angelica Ward "Just think of who we could end up being with!" Lily didn't agree, but turned her attention to the Professor, who had found his list, and had begun to read.

"The first groupe will be Lily Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape" Lily had gone quite pale at the thought of being with so many boys "and Angelica Ward." Lily let out the breath she had been holding. No problem, Gel could talk to the boys, she'd listen. 

"Please, collect yourselves at one table, make it snappy, Miss Evans, we don't have all day!" 

Angelica grabbed Lily's arm, and hauled her over to the table that occupied the rest of their team- A boy with messy black hair and a huge grin on his face (_Must have spotted Angelica _Lily thought.) Another boy, his long black hair tied back in a pony tail, a small, thin boy with brown hair, and an oily, sneering boy, with pale waxy skin. 

"Who are Lily Evans and Angelica Ward?" demanded James Potter of his friends

"We are." They looked up to see a rather pretty brunette and a red-faced red-head standing beside them.

"Hello ladies, care to join us?" Sirius asked, smiling his nicest smile at them. Lily went even redder, if that was possible, but she sat down beside James, her body rigid, fiddling with her necklace.

"Your assignment is in the back of your Portions textbook. I suggest you spend the remainder of this lesson discussing it." Professor Barre went to sit down at his desk. James looked at his friends, and at Angelica and Lily, he avoided looking at Snape, the sight disgusted him.

__

Angelica sure is cute. The redhead is awkward and a little too shy, but I'll be nice, cause she's Angelica's friend. 

"Well, I am James, this is Sirius, and Remus…..and Snape. Your Angelica and Lily."

Angelica nodded, making her hair bounce

"Yes. So, you guys, we should get started. Lil', honey, lend me a quill?" Lily looked up to pass her a quill, and James saw bright green eye peek out at them

A bit like a Christmas tree. Be nice James!

Lily looked back down at the table top instantly, as if it was the most interesting surface in the whole world.

"Well, alright, the potion looks a little confusing. Lil', your good at potions, what do you think?" Angelica demanded, trying to get her friend to talk.

"I-I don't know, Gel, I haven't looked at it yet." The response was so quiet, that James was tempted to ask her to speak up, but he saw that Angelica had heard it, and let her translate.

"So look, and say something, Lil'" Angelica's voice sounded a little irritated, but she wasn't. She just couldn't understand how Lily could be so shy.

Lily Evans scanned the page a couple of times, and smiled quietly to herself. It was a complicated potion, but it looked kind of fun. Her two favorite subjects were potions and charms, so she wasn't a complete dunce. However, she'd be damned if she was going to say anything. It would probably come out sounding all wrong.

Luckily, the class ended then, and they walked out of Potions. Lily beside the ever protective Angelica, along with their partners, minus Snape, who had left as soon as he could.

"Would you ladies like to get a butterbeer and talk about the potion?" Sirius was still smiling, at Lily, actually, Angelica was pleased to see, although Lily didn't notice a thing.

Lily shook her head, but Angelica answered

"Course we do, don't we, Lil"

"Not really, Gel. I've got this big report due for Care of Magical Muggles class. I mean-"

"Lily Evans, you are as horrible as excuses as you are at lying. So come on. You know 5th years are allowed to go to Hogsmeade on Fridays."

Lily allowed herself to be pulled along by the over-enthusiastic Angelica, managing to drop several quills and a piece of parchment along the way as she tripped over a step.

So, whaddya think of my newest fic? If I get reviews, I love you! Really! If I don't, well, that's alright. It's just get more and more….absurd and fluffy. J Ciao!


	2. Bearer of Bad News

A/N I am really worried I went totally out of character for Lily in this one, so read, and tell me if you think I did, please!

Lily sighed and put her head on her arms. They were in the Three Broomsticks, and as usual, everyone was listening to Angelica tell a simply amazing story. Which was fine with Lily- sort of. She'd loved to be able to talk like that, keep a group of boys entranced by her words. But she couldn't, of course. She got up from the table, and walked over to the counter of the bar, carrying her empty mug. The bartender, Madame Rosmerta, walked over to her and smiled warmly.

"Hello! I haven't seen you in here before with James and Sirius. Are you friends of theirs?"

Lily smiled back , and shook her head.

"I am not. Angelica is, I guess. Really, we're supposed to be discussing a Potion, but my best friend, Gel, is telling one of her amazing stories. Can I have a refill?"

"Certainly" Madame Rosmerta poured more butterbeer into Lily's mug, and leaned across the counter "Why don't you start a story then? You could join in, dear."

Lily blushed

"I am afraid I am too shy to say anything." She ducked her head when she admitted this, because she was embarassed by her inability to talk to people. But Madame Rosmerta smiled.

"What is your name, dear?"

"Lily Evans"

"Well, Lily, I was a lot like you when I was younger. I couldn't talk to boys, or even very many strangers. I was very shy and quiet. And now, I own this bar, and I talk to everyone who comes in!"

Lily had been expecting something like this. It happened every time she tried to explain how shy she was. But she smiled politely, and took the butterbeer, smiled goodbye, and started to get up.

"Lily!" said Madame Rosmerta "Don't forget, your still as pretty as Angelica, even if you don't know it yet!" Lily turned red, and went back to the table, grabbing a copy of the Daily Prophet as she went. She sat down where she had been sitting since they had arrived, and opened the paper. The glass she had been holding dropped and smashed on the floor as Lily scanned the article on the first page. In huge black letters were the words **"Dark Lord Strikes Again; Two Muggles Killed" ** and the picture of a house. Lily's house. Lily let out a strangled sort of sob, and dropped the paper as well. She jumped up, ran through the glass, ignoring it, and out the door, back towards Hogwarts. Angelica, looking very worried, raced after her, yelling goodbye to her new friends.

Sirius picked up the newspaper, and read the article.

_ ****_

"Two Muggles were killed in East Britain today. Reportedly a neighbor (who has now had her memory cleared) saw a man who can only be identified as the Dark Lord, He-who-must-not-be-named, enter the house. Then she heard screams and shouting, and saw a clap of green light. The man didn't come out again, and the house errupted into flames. Fortunately, there is one survivor of the tragedy, Petunia Evans, who was out at the time. For more information, see section A3."

James looked at where the two girls had disappeared.

"Poor Lily!" exclaimed Sirius, gazing at the door mournfully.

"Lily, come on, it's time to get up." 

"Breakfast will be half over at this rate."

Lily pretended she didn't hear Angelica or Ruby, another girl with who shared they're room, and buried her face under the pillow. It wasn't real. She pulled one arm out of the tangle of blankets, and pinched herself hard again and again. But she didn't wake up. It wasn't a dream

__

Oh God, mom, dad. Why did he have to choose you guys? Why couldn't he choose someone, anyone else. Petunia will never forgive me now!

"Lily" Angelica pulled the drapes apart, and the sun fell on a small form huddled under the blankets.

"You've got to get up, Lil'. Dumbledore's going to wonder where you are."

"We've got that big potions assignement to do, and we need your help, Lily. Do you want to fail potions? We start the first step today, and he said we all had to be there!"

Lily poked her head out from under the pillow, and her friends tried not to wince. Lily's eyes were puffy and red, her face had tear streaks down it, and her lips were cracked and had dried blood on them. When Lily was upset, she bit her lip a lot.

"Lily, come on!" Angelica picked up Lily's sweaty warm hand, and started to tug on it.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T MAKE ME GET UP!" Lily sounded positively hysterical, and her eyes had taken on a glazed look.

"Lily" Angelica was worried, and Ruby had rushed off to get Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse. 

"Lily, you need to calm down." Angelica held firmly to Lily's hand, and hugged her friend, who began sobbing dryly in Angelica's shoulder. "Crying won't bring them back, honey. And it won't do you any good. None of this will. You've gotta live your life for them now. Remember how proud they were of you? They loved you so much, it hurt them. That's how it is with you. You're my best friend, and I love you as my sister. You still have us, we're not going anywhere." 

Lily had gotten quieter, and Ruby burst through the door just then, followed by Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. 

"What is wrong here?" demanded Professor McGonagall, her normally harsh voice softer as she realized Lily was crying.

"Lily's parents" Angelica said, handing her a letter from the Ministry that had arrived the night before. McGonagall read it, and walked over to Lily, putting a hand on the top of her head. 

"Lily, my mother died when I was 14 years old, I know part of the loss your feeling. But you must get up. If what Miss.Ward has told me is correct, you have to pass potions, and to do so, you must complete the potion you were assigned to with your team. So come on get up. You have Double Potions first thing, then you can go back to bed if you wish." 

Lily raise a tear stained face, and looked up at her teacher, then, to everyone's surprise, she jumped up and hugged Professor McGonagall around the waist. 

"Thank you Professor." She said, and pulled away. 

"Your Welcome Miss. Evans. Now, get dressed, and hurry downstairs.Come on Poppy" she said, marching out the door so Lily could get dressed.

After a breakfast which Angelica and Ruby would remember as one of the most tension filled meals of their life, the three friends proceeded to their potions class. Ruby made a face at her group (most of them were Slytherins) and said goodbye to her friends. Lily and Angelica made they're way to the table which held the rest of their group. James was sitting across the table from Sirius and Remus. Lily shrank back slightly, feeling embarrassed about her actions the day before, but Angelica pushed her into a seat beside James, and sat herself beside Sirius.

James glanced sideways at Lily, and saw that she wasn't red in the face today, she looked almost normal. Except her eyes were shut tight, as if she was trying to pretend she was somewhere else. He reached out, and tapped her on the arm, and she flinched. 

"Evans, open up your Potions book" he hissed, and saw her eyebrows go up. She looked very funny, her eyebrows way up on her forehead, and her eyes closed. He began to laugh. Lily, not realizing she was the source, raised one eyebrow higher and opened her eyes to see what he was laughing at. When she realized she was the source of they're mirth she promptly opened up her book, and brought it very close to her face, to hide the deep crimson shade it had become.

"I didn't know we had to read the potion upside down!" James exclaimed.

Lily turned the book right side up, and, on an impulse completely unlike her normal self, whacked him on the head with it. Angelica looked at her friend in surprise, and saw what could only be defined as anger on her face. She grinned. Trust Lily to get mad when someone made fun of her. James rubbed his head, and looked at Sirius and Remus, who were snorting with laughter.

"No need for that, Evans. Temper, temper" James grinned. Lily, however, had lost her courage, and turned red again. 

("Alright, now my dear GET BACKTO THE STORY SIOBHÁN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ß See what I have to work with? That's my little sister, who's been reading over my shoulder. She wrote that)

Angelica grinned, perhaps this James Potter would bring out the nasty streak she knew was hidden deep within her best friend.

"Alright, Lil', James, Sirius, Remus and Snape." Angelica looked at each of them in turn. "This is your mission, should you choose to accept it" her and Lily giggled, the rest did not. They were obviously not muggle born. "Is to read this Potion and complete it so you all pass Potions and aren't stuck doing this again next year!" she giggled, and looked at the potion herself. 

"My my my, this is complicated." Angelica sighed, and looked at Snape. "I don't suppose your any more willing than Missy Evans to donate any information?"

Snape snarled, but began to speak "This potion contains crowfoot, a highly potent ingredient. If used wrong, you will grow warts and your hair will turn blue, I-"

"No." the soft voice of Lily Evans floated across the table 

"Pardon?" Snape snarled at her.

"Well, I was just saying…..Crowsfoot, it doesn't make your hair turns blue….it reverses the process, so your hair grows in, and gets caught up in your brain, and eventually-"

"Lily, dear, spare us the morbid details. Are you going to help us, then?"

Lily nodded "If all you have is this incompetent fool helping you, then yes, I will. You'll need me, won't you?" Snape had been rather cruel to Lily in her first year, resulting in a grudge that Lily had carried since. And while Lily wasn't quick at comebacks, when they came out, they were good.

Ignoring the beet color her face was becoming, Lily pushed back her hair, and bent over the book, whispering things to Angelica, which she grudgingly relayed to the rest of the group. 

Before they knew it, class was over, and Lily left her fellow Gryffindors, and went up to her room, where she flopped down on her bed, and buried her face in the pillow. The tears came almost instantly, even though she willed herself not to cry. 

****

Alex Gryffindorgal6@cs.com: Yeah, I actually imagined her loud too. And, when I started writing a fic about James and Lily, she was loud, and they hated each other. But I've read a lot of fics about Lily being loud. A lot of fics I LOVE. So I decided to try it differently. Her problems are semi based on a real persons.

****

Sdfg: Ummm, yeah, I'd concider Lily in this story pretty. She's just…really shy.


	3. A Resolution

It was Midnight, and Lily could not sleep. Not one wink. She had tried counting sheep (heheheheehee) counting crows, counting the cracks in her ceiling and had even tried willing herself to sleep. And nothing worked. So she wrapped a robe around her pajamas, and walked down to the common room, grabbing a book on the way. She hopped down the steps, taking them two at a time, almost tripping on the last one, and regaining her composure, she walked to the fire, which seemed to be always burning. She sighed, and sat down beside it, on the rug. The moon, full bright, shone in through the window. Leaving her book on the ground, Lily went and looked out the window at the grounds. Then she looked up at the moon, searching, as she had since she was little, for the face of Cynthia, the goddess of the moon. A story her father had told when she was younger. A silent tear trickled down face. It still hurt so much to think of them. She knew it would hurt for a long time, and she was prepared to accept the pain. She just didn't know if she could get used to it. Silently, she whispered the story of Cynthia to herself. 

*you can skip this if you want, it doesn't hold much relevance to the story*

__

Cynthia, goddess of the moon, was the most beautiful woman on earth and off earth. Her beauty radiated around her, and she lit up the night sky as she flew across it, her cloak bringing the stars. Zeus, the mighty God, was very pleased with his daughter, and took great pride in watching her flight. 

One night, as Cynthia was flying over the hills, she saw a shepherd tending to his flocks. The beauty of the shepherd was astounding, and she fell instantly in love with him. Cynthia left her position in the sky, and went to earth to see him. They spent the night in the field, just gazing into each others eyes. But this made Zeus angry, and so, he cast a spell on the shepherd, so that he slept for the rest of eternity. Cynthia was very saddened by this, but it did not quench the love she felt for him. So one night she flew down to where he was, and spent both night and day there, curled up beside him. That is why, every month, the moon disappears for four nights, because Cynthia is visiting with her love.

Lily's face was rampant with tears, and her body was shaking with sobs. Angelica was right, of course, nothing would bring them back. She had just been hoping that maybe, just maybe there was a chance they'd hear her and she could see them again. Silently, Lily opened the window, and pushed herself up on the rim, so she was sitting on the ledge, both feet dangling over. It was a precarious position, and she wasn't going to jump, she just wanted to be closer to the night.

However, it did not look like this to James Potter or Sirius Black as they entered the common room and saw the small pale shape illuminated by the moon. They walked softly over, and James grabbed the girls arm. A terrified face whipped around to look at them, green eyes wide with fear.

"Evans? What are you doing?" demanded James, tightening his grip on her arm.

"I-I was just looking at t-the moon" Lily said, feeling slightly dazed

"Well get down, Evans. We need you to stay alive, at least until potions is over." James was joking, but he felt Lily stiffen.

"I can get down myself, Potter." She snapped, climbing off the sill, and stepping easily down. She pushed past him and Sirius, and sat down by the fire. She was freezing, it had been colder than she thought. She opened her book, and began to read.

__

Shall I compare thee to a summers day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate. 

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May

And summers lease hath all too short a date

Sometimes time too hot the eye of heaven shines-

Lily wrinkled her nose at the poem, and flipped a couple of pages.

__

How do I love thee? 

Let me count the ways…

She closed the book and looked at the cover

****

101 Love Sonnets 

Lily let out a small arguh.

She hated love poems with a vengeance. She almost threw the book into the fire, but decided against it. Angelica would kill her, seeing as how it was her book. Instead, Lily got up, and went to close the window. Then she walked slowly up the stairs to the girls dorms, maybe she could get to sleep now.

"Lily Evans! Lillllly! Wake up muffin!" Lily sat up "Muffin?" she demanded, looking into the face of her other room mate, Chelsea, who had just come back from visiting her mother, who had been ill.

"Yeah. Muffin." Lily threw her sheep stuffy, Sherbert, at Chelsea, and grinned.

"I am not a breakfast food! How's your mom?"

"Fine. Listen, Lil', about what happened while I was away-I feel the same way Gel does." Angelica Punched her.

"Your just stealing my lines." She said, giggling despite her angry face. Angelica rarely found time to be angry.

"It's alright, Chels, as long as you don't call me-"

"That's great! I gotta run! See ya….Muffin!" Chelsea bolted out the door, Lily's other sheep, Shiskabob, flying out the door and hitting her in the head. And audible "Ouch!" came from the direction of the stairs.

Lily grinned. "Bulls eye!!!" she crowed

"Come on Lils, lets get moving!" Ruby exclaimed, yanking the covers off of Lily. Lily groaned.

"Two weird nicknames, right after I wake up? I don't know if I can handle this."

Breakfast was already on the table when the three girls rushed into the great hall. The only seats left were at the middle of the table (A/N does that make sense? Ever notice how the two ends always seem to fill up first? Or is it just me?) So they took them grudgingly. Lily usually liked to sit at the end, where she didn't feel so…_observed._ But she sat, and took a plate. From across the table, and down about 5 seats, Chelsea yelled. 

"Hey Muffin….have a muffin!"

and with these words, she lobbed a blueberry muffin at Lily. Who turned red, but caught it just before it hit her in the face. She grimaced as the blueberries oozed between her fingers. Lily was terribly embarrassed. Not that her friend had meant to humiliate her, she knew that, but she still turned red, for no reason, she still got embarrassed, for no reason.

_This has got to stop._ Lily decided, banging the slimy muffin on the table _This has got to stop NOW. _

During the rest of breakfast, while she slurped down porridge, and carefully avoided any kind of baked food, Lily thought about her problem, and her task. 

__

I am going to stop being so scared and embarrassed. But how? 

She was still thinking about this problem when they all filed off to Divination. This caused her to walk into a wall (A/N I've done it) causing more laughter. But Lily was so deep in thought, she didn't notice.

Does it sound corny? I am sacred it's getting sappy. Sad freak, and her side kick Sappy! (never mind, personal thing) Ok, so, review, and yell at me. *cringes* The whole part with the moon was kinda pointless, but the Cynthia story was stuck in my head. And Lily seems like she'd like that sorta thing. I'd better introduce Peter and add some more Remus into this, hadn't I?

Disclaimer: Lily, James, Sirius, Hogwarts and anything you recognize because you've seen it between the covers of a book is not mine. Sherbert, Shishkabob, Ruby, and Angelica are. But Chelsea belongs to herself. (Scary thing she is too)


	4. Purple People Eater

A/N Excuse my spelling, please. I miss spell lots of words, and I am too lazy and in pain to check for them. Well, this fic isin't quite nearly finished, and it may very well be lonegr. I really don't know at all J

Divination was terrible, not only did Lily feel suffocated in the room, she was horrible at the class, and she thought it was complete tripe. Sitting at a table shoved as far away as they could get from everyone, Lily, Ruby, Chelsea and Angelica were talking raptly instead of concentrating on the tarot cards laid before them. So raptly, in fact, they didn't notice Professor Trelawneway (I have no idea how to spell that) towering over them, until she spoke 

"Ladies! Are we not supposed to be working on our tarot reading?" Lily jumped, and looked up at the Professors face, which was cloudy.

"Yes ma'am, I was just reading Lily's present, umm, now, the next card, yes, that sounds right…" Angelica pulled a card off the top of the pile, and held it up. 

"What card is it, Miss. Ward?"

Angelica looked at the card. 

"Uh, Three of Swords. Upside down."

"And what does the card mean, Miss. Ward?"

"Uh, it means….bad tidings await Lily, a field of broken promises, a shattered life, the loss of loved ones."

The Professor smiled. "Very good, Miss. Ward. Less talking please." she moved on to torture the next victim, and Angelica turned, grinning, to her friends.

Lily wiggled her eyebrows "How did you manage that?" she demanded wen the Professor was safely out of hearing.

Angelica shrugged. "I just made a guess, told her what she likes; death. Morbid old hag".

Lily laughed, then remembered what Angelica had said. Out of curiosity, she frowned and pulled out her tarot book, to look up the card

(A/N I broke out my Tarot book for this, and it wasn't easy finding it in my room! But the definitions are straight out of the book, so they're correct)

"Keyword: Heartache." Lily read aloud " Reversed meaning: Confusion and worry, a great upheaval that causes stress. The healing process has begun, even though you have a long way to go." She looked at Angelica, whose grin had been replaced with worry

"That's weird, Gel. That's exactly it. What's happening in my present. Pick another."

"Lily, I dunno, It's just for fun, right? I mean-"

"Do it Gel." Lily's voice was unusually harsh. Angelica picked another. 

Two flopped from the pile, and Lily swept them both up. "The first one, Wheel of Fourtune. Ummm… Meaning: A 'turn for the better', the end result of past actions and the workings of destiny, which noone can completely understand. An end to current problems and some marked strokes of luck. That doesn't sound so bad." Lily bit her lip, and didn't notice that most of the class was looking at her intently.

"The second is…Death." Lily's voice trembled "Transformation, change which is a blessing in disguise. A clearing out which will make way for something better- " 

"That's not so bad either Lils."

"Wait, Ruby, there's more. Harsh fate which does not consider personal feelings. Oh. That's not good." Lily closed the book with a thump, and put the cards back into the deck. She was white, and trembling. She felt sick, and the air was choking her, seeping into her skin, her lungs. She nearly laughed, she was choking to death, and it was funny. Her stomach felt like it was expanding, and she had to gulp for air. What brought her back was Chelsea, hitting her in the back of the head with her bag. 

"Whoops! Awwww Muffin! Did I hurt you?" she cooed, annoying Lily quite a bit. 

"Yes. And call me Lily!" she said, her heart pounding. What had just happened, and had anyone noticed? Apparently not. And why would they? Lily Evans being very quiet wasn't strange thing. She could probably die, and it would take awhile for them to notice. Would anyone notice? If she faded away into nothing? Lily felt tears prick her eyes, and a huge, gnawing metallic empty feeling sprang into her stomach. She wanted keel over and sob herself into quiet oblivion. But she didn't. She went on to Potions, with her friends. 

I look in the mirror

I try not to see

The girl inside

But she shines through me

I've put on a brave front

I've got a smile on my face

But inside I am dying

I am loosing the race

To find

What I truly have 

Hidden inside

Lily was the first of their group to arrive in Potions, and she sat down at the table, and took out her books. Taking out a clean piece of parchment, she finished the description of the ingredients for the potion (A/N See, they're doing the potion now.) 

__

List of Potion Components

Potions Class 

Lily Evans

Gilly Weed: Used to breathe underwater, very useful when swimming or searching for murder victims.

Tanbarcula: A purple plant found only in certain areas of England. Very potent , one drop of juice equal to 5 glasses of rum .

Dragon Balm: Made from Dragon fat, this jelloish substance, if used incorrectly, could kill all of London's residents

Ophrys insectifera: a plant that captures and eats anything it can touch (mostly birds and small mamals.)

Toothwart: Aparasite, often found aroun the "stools"of oaks. This is very useful as a cooling element in potions.

Wolfsbane: This plant helps keep check of the body's senses. Used in cases of amnesia and accidental transformation.

Squamaria: The plant, shaped like an eagles claw, this plant heals headaches and is used in the basic mixtre of butterbeer.

Skin of a rat: Simply put, the hide of a rat.

Hair of each person in group: One of my hairs, one of Angelica's, one of James' One of Sirius' , One of Remus' and one of Snape's

Spit of a duck: The saliva of a duck.

Lily looked at the list. The words said during and after the spell weren't really ingredients, so she didn't include them. She put her quill down, and realized that the classroom was full, and the teacher was not there yet. Angelica leant over to look at her homework.

"Shit!"

"Gel!"

"Sorry. Lil, can I copy, please."

"Gel, didn't you do it?"

"Truthfully? I tried, but I was too busy…….doing other things." She looked at Sirius. And Lily didn't miss it. Her eyebrows shot way, way up.

"Oh. Ah. I see. Yes, you can copy it." Lily 'accidentally' dropped her quill, and had to retrieve it. She took a long time, and strangled laughter could be heard from under the table. Followed by a yelp as Angelica kicked her, and a loud BANG as Lily hit her head on the table.

As Lily emerged, red-faced, Professor Barre Walked in, and scowled at her. 

"Miss. Evans, kindly sit in your seat." 

She did as she was told, anger registering for a moment in her green eyes.

"Alright, class. Please come get the big pewter cauldrons, and take only one per group. Send up someone- not Miss. Evans- to get the ingredients. Hurry up!" he snapped. Lily looked at him, stunned. 

"Why is he being so mean to me?" she demanded outright to her friend. Angelica shrugged.

"I'll get the ingredients." Snape said coldly, standing up.

"I'll help." Remus dashed off after Snape

"We can get the cauldron." Angelica said, looking at Sirius.

Lily was left sitting with James, who seemed to be playing with his quill. Lily had no idea what to do, so she played with her necklace, and looked at the ceiling.

"Look at her" Angelica had turned to look at her best friend, a worried look on her face. 

"She's getting more…aggressive, but it's like the more outspoken she becomes, the more it hurts her."

Sirius followed Angelica's gaze. "Why is she so shy?" he asked.

Angelica frowned "She tried to explain it once, said she just felt weird around people. Boys scare her. Only don't say I said so!" she quickly finished, looking at Sirius pleadingly. He laughed.

"I won't. Poor Lily. She looks really uncomfortable."

The line shuffled up, but stopped abruptly as Frank Longbottem dropped the cauldron on Peter Pettigrew's foot. As Peter screamed, Lily looked up and a grin lit her face. She covered her mouth with one hand, and Angelica saw, to her delight, James Potter turn to look at her friend. Lily didn't notice, she was giggling too hard, her shoulders shaking. The nervous Frank Longbottom was trying to apologize to Peter, and Professor Barre had walked over to see what the commotion was all about. Angelica saw James turn to Lily and say something, and saw her friend nod, and go red. Angelica grinned. Maybe, just maybe……

"Thanks Evans. I was up for hours trying to figure that one out."

"No problem". Lily hesitated "But you don't pronounce it right, Potter. It's PER-NIN-CI-OSIS. Not Per-NONE-ci-oasis"

"Say that again?"

"PER-NIN-CI-OSIS."

"Got it." James raised his wand, and whispered the words. Lily began to speak, but closed her mouth again as Snape sprouted a furry cats tail, ears and whiskers. 

"Oh my." she said, trying to be shocked, but not quite managing it.

Unluckily, Professor Barre looked in their direction, and saw mirth on both of their faces.

"EVANS AND POTTER!" he hollered, his face turning a deep shade of crimson "DETENTION!"

Lily stopped mid-giggle. 

"But Professor! I didn-"

"5 points from Gryffindor!"

"But sir-"

"15 and it will be 30 next time you open your mouth!"

Lily's bottom lip quivered, and her eyes grew wide. But her eyebrows knitted together, and Angelica, staring at her friend, saw her bite her lip in determination not to cry. She glared at James Potter instead. He shot her an apologetic grin, and put on a pouty expression. Lily couldn't help but let her face soften. Although she didn't turn red.

James regarded the girl sitting before him almost scientificaly. 

__

Hey, Evans isn't as bad a sport as I thought she'd be. Maybe she should smile more, that would help. She's sort of pretty when she's upset too, though.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Angelica and Sirius banged the cauldron back down on the table and Remus arrived with the ingredients (Snape had gone to see Madame Pomfrey)

"Great! So. Let's get started." Angelica said, patting Lily on the shoulder. 

"What are the ingredients?" Remus asked (I kinda forgot about Ol' Remus, didn't I?)Lily handed him her list.

"Didn't you lot bother to do the assignment ?" Angelica demanded, grinning at Lily, who smirked in mock contempt.

"Nope. We knew you girls or Snape would have done it." Sirius answered, winking at Angelica, who grinned back at him. 

"Now, lets see. It says that the spit of a duck first, then the Squamaria, then the Gilly weed and Ophrys insectifera. They have to simmer for- three days?!" After adding the ingredients, Remus looked at his companions "Did Barre ever mention what kind of Potion this was?" (Has the author decided what kind it is? Not yet.)

Lily shook her head. She bent over to look at the option. It was a nasty shade of purple. She could see figures swimming in it- no, that wasn't right, was it? It couldn't be. She leant closer, and saw the faces. _Mom? Dad? No, it can't be them._ She reached one hand in, moving it closer and closer to the potion. Suddenly, part of it sprang up, and wrapped itself around her fingers. Lily shrieked, and pulled back her hand. The substance twisted along with her like taffy.

James Potter did the first thing that came to mind, he grabbed Lily Evans' arm, and tried to yank it out. But the stuff came with it. Lily was desperately trying to shake it off of her hand, but it had slowly begun to creep up her arm. It felt cool and slippery, like water that wasn't wet. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Angelica called for Professor Barre, but he had disappeared. Sirius grabbed the substance with a pair of tongs that they had used for picking up the Ophrys insectifera, and grabbed the purple thing. James and Lily pulled in one direction, Angelica, Sirius and Remus pulled in the other. With a loud twang, the purple thing split, and James and Lily stumbled backwards , as did their three friends. All of them were extremely relieved. Lily actually threw her arms around James, and hugged him. But she moved away quickly. Very embarrassed, and sporting a brilliant shade of pink. 

"Lily, you stupid prat! Why the hell did you reach into that cauldron?" Angelica was happy her friend was ok, but very, very angry too.

In a hushed voice, Lily said "I saw mom and dad. I am seeing them everywhere, Gel. I just can't help it."

"Cheer up Lily." James said, patting her on the back. "It's Christmas Vacation in a week."

Lily felt her face crumple. Christmas. The first one she had ever spent alone. She remembered her familys tradition; walking around the neighbour hoods, looking at all of the light displays.( I dunno if they do that in England, but we do it here) stopping for a cider at old Mr. Brigarty's when they got too cold. She was going to miss that. She was going to miss everything. She sighed deeply.

"Cheer up Lil! We'll all go shopping on Friday, alright? Christmas shopping! You remember how nice Hogsmeade looks at Christmas, don't you?" Angelica said, slinging an arm around her best friends shoulders.

"Great!" Sirius exclaimed. "So, at 2:00 on Friday then?"

Angelica blinked "I just meant me and Lily, sorry Sir-"

"No, he can come. It's alright Gel." Lily said, squeezing her friends arm "I know you'd like that." 

Oooh, the cliches are making my stomach hurt! That what comes of TWO P.E. classes in one day. Poor, poor likkle meeeee! Running sucks, especially when you've just started P.E. Oouch. And I have rehearsal. Ok, stop reading my whiny little Authors Note thingy. 

Answers:

Chelsea: Hmm, well, it's my best friends name, or, one of her names. Anyways, it's the one on her birth certificate. 

To whomever asked when they're going to get together: That, I can't say. Not really over Christmas I don't suppose. Although maybe. I want it to be unique, so I am still thinking.

Disclaimer: ummm, the names of some of the ingredients are from "Woodland Plants" by Heather and Robin Tanner. The Tarot readings are from my book, "Tarot" by Jonathan Dee. Pretty much everything else worth reading belong to JK Rowling, the genius writer.


	5. Rats!

Warning, language content, maybe PG-13 for a couple of words.

Professor Barre looked at the two students standing before him. Shy, quiet Lily Evans, her hair pulled up into it's regular bun, her face worried, and to contrast her, loud, noisy, in his opinion, obnoxious. James looked messy. Flyaway hair, wrinkled robes. Lily also had her backpack with her. He had to resist the urge to laugh, she looked so incredibly nervous.

"Alright. You two will be going with Professor Kerper to the forbidden forest. He needs help setting some of the creatures from his Seventh Year Care of Magical Creatures class free."

"Yes Sir." Lily said, and began walking to the door that lead outside. James glared at Professor Barre for a couple of minutes, then followed her. 

Outside it was pouring down rain. Professor Kerper, a short, jolly man, was holding a large umbrella. Lily and James ran under it, and the professor smiled at them.

"Good, all here? Now then, we're setting free some dead spiders first (A/N doesn't exactly make sense) and then, about five minutes later, we'll be setting free our animals. They love the spiders, and we're hoping that they will follow them into the Forbidden Forest. But we need you to walk along and create a trail of spiders into the forest. Not too far, mind. And use the tracking charm to keep your bearings."

Lily nodded, a little afraid of the forest. James wasn't. He'd been in there loads of times…as Prongs. But noone knew that, so he couldn't say anything. Professor Kerper handed them a large jar full of dead spiders, and they set off at a run, until they reached the dense foliage of the foreste, where the rain could not reach them. Lily shook her head, beats of rain flying off of her in every direction. James lit his wand (Lumos). Then they started to walk through the forest, dropping spiders every few feet. Or rather, Lily dropped the spiders. She was naming them out of boredom, Patti, Thelma, Louise, Bertram, Count Dracula (this produced a giggle) Ronald- The list went on. James was looking around him, also very bored, wishing that Sirius was there to talk to. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of black. He stopped dead, causing Lily to run into him.

"What?" Lily asked angrily; the sudden halt had caused her to drop several dead spiders on her robes, and she couldn't see them very well.

"Shhh." James said, backing up into her. 

"Ouch! James. Stop moving, you going to walk me right into a tree!" Lily took more steps backwards. James stopped, he'd just seen more black. Evidently, Lily had seen it too. She gasped, and held her wand at ready.

"James" her voice was right in his ear, and James felt heat rush to the back of his neck "What do you think it is?" she sounded scared, and, without thinking, James reached out and grabbed her cold hand. Suddenly, Lily gave a small cry, and jumped away from where she had been standing. A large rat stood there, blood on his teeth. As she jumped away (dragging James with her, they were still holding hands) and Sirius Black leapt out of the undergrowth, snarling like a dog.. Lily screamed, but James didn't. He laughed, and patted Sirius on the head. Lily looked like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Arguh!" she said, and flung a hand-full of dead spiders at Sirius. He made a face at her.

"Sorry to spoil your romantic evening with James, Lily." 

Lily turned red, and spluttered. But she couldn't get any words out. Instead, she remembered her ankle, and sat down on the ground to look at it. The bite wasn't big, although it was bleeding nicely, and she wasn't scared of catching anything. She pointed her wand at it, and said a healing charm. The wound healed up, and only a thin white line was left. James and Sirius watched. It was obvious Lily Evans was a fairly powerful witch, at least when it came to charms.

"My, my my. Did a rat bite you Lily. They shouldn't bite so hard!" Sirius said, looking around him. Lily cocked her head, not understanding.

"I don't think you have power over the rats, Sirius." Lily said quietly, thinking of a muggle movie about a boy who did. She couldn't quite picture Sirius Black doing the things this boy had done, though. 

"Not yet. Maybe one day." Sirius grinned at Lily

Lily, slightly put off by this, picked up the jar, and continued walking, dropping spiders. Sirius and James caught up to her, and they walked in silence. Lily began to walk faster, because she could hear the creatues Professor Kerper had let loose. And they kind of scared her.

Unbeknownst to them, Professor Kerper had gone inside for a moment, leaving the cages unguarded. IT was Severus Snape, who had been listening to Professor Barre give Lily and James their detention, had let the animals loose, and then ran away.

"Um, guys. Do you hear the creatures?" Lily asked, nervous. The spiders were only half gone, and she was worried.

"Actually, now that you mention it" James said, interrupting Sirius who had been talking about brooms.

Lily turned in time to see a very large rat type creature (think mucho bigger than Peter the Puny) fly out of the bushes she screamed, and kicked it away from her. She grabbed her wand, and started cursing left and right at more and more rats emerged. Where oh where were James and Sirius? A quick glance over her shoulder revealed their absence. 

"Bastards" One of the rats took this moment to leap at her, digging it's claws into her shoulder. Lily fell to the ground. Suddenly, a weight was lifted off her chest. The weight of the giant rat. She looked up at a giant white stag.

"I am dreaming." She said, and felt her eyes roll up in her head as she passed out. 

__

A knock at the door. A slender, pretty woman with red hair opened it to reveal a tall, ugly man, his face twisted in malice.

Adevera Kadevra! The words took shape as a green flash tore up the air. The woman fell, limp on the ground, her red hair spilling about her like blood. A man came running from the kitchen, flour from baking all over his apron and black pants.

"Betony!" he cried, and knelt beside his wife, cradling her head in his hands. It was his last action, because the words were uttered again, and the man fell beside his wife.

The wizard, who had uttereed the fatal curse, sent a skull shooting through the roof of the house, where it hovered like a storm cloud. Then he laughed, and laughed and laughed. 

On his way out, he casually turned around and muttered "Enflameus" The hair of the woman turned to pure flame as the house melted around her and her husband, sealing their fate.

Lily screamed. The first thing that came into focus was the concerned, disembodied head of a stag, hovering just above her own face. She smiled hazily, because he looked very funny, for the stag had just turned into James Potter. Something hit her face, but she didn't feel anything. IT hit her again, and registered. A stinging, prickly feeling. She sat up, feeling ill.

"Lily!" James wrapped Lily in the second hug they had shared that day. She was overcome with many emotions, mostly nausea.

"I am going to-" James moved away quickly as Lily rolled over and threw up, ridding her stomach of the terrible clenching pain that had possessed it.

"Lily, are you alright?" James asked, when she had finished. His face was slightly red because he had hugged Lily, and because Sirius eyebrows were halfway up his forehead, and he was puckering his lips.

"Yes. Maybe. I am not sure. What happened to the deer?" Lily asked drowsily.

"Your bleeding. There wasn't any deer here." James said, exchanged a worried glance with Sirius. 

"Really? I could have sworn there was." Lily said, but she appeared to have given it up. Instead, she looked up at the trees, to see sunlight peeking through. "What time is it?"

"Past noon. I am not sure where we are." Sirius said rather sheepishly. Lily looked picked up her wand, and stood up shakily.

"We should try to get back, are you guys hurt?" They shook their heads; neither had a scratch on them, just some large purple bruises. Lily's shoulder was cut, though, straight through her robe.

"We should try to get out of here" Sirius said, as a twig snapped behind them and a low growl pierced the air.

__

Well, that's this chapter so far. Prolly not another for two weeks or so, I am going to be really busy because I act, and I have 6 or so performances coming up, and not many lines memorized! But I'll try, seeing as how this is a cliffhanger of sorts. I dun think this really seems like Lily, somehow. Do you?

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the exciting people, places and things. I just own Angelica, and Ruby. Oh, and the spiders! Ummm, the rodents, were……ripped off. Yeah, from a movie. So, I am sorry for the cheese (ack! Don't read it like it sounds) and I have to go, because it's time for me to go because I have to go.


	6. Friends give each other Christmas Presen...

Lily heard the crunch and the growl and moved to stand in between James and Sirius, her wand at ready. James looked at Sirius over the top of Lily's head. What was there to be scared of here besides Remus? Most other things, they could kill. Lily tensed, and then grimaced. Her shoulder stung, and had begun to throb. She was starting to feel woozy again, and she was worried she would not be able to fight. She hoped whatever was growling would show itself soon. 

"James, Sirius, you guys better not disappear like you did last time" she hissed, elbowing James with her elbow. James messaged the spot. Her elbows were pointy.

"Don't worry Lily, we won't." Sirius promised, eyes still fixed on the bushes. Suddenly, a huge shape leapt from them and, knocking James over, it began to lick his face.

"Fang!" James exclaimed, trying to get up, but failing. The huge dog was very heavy. It took both Lily and Sirius to pull him off James, and soon after they had, Hagrid appeared.

"There yeh are!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly. "Soon as Professor Kerper returned and found out that th' creatures escaped, we've been lookin' for yeh!"

"They escaped?" James demanded, looking extremely angry.

"Or someone let them out." Sirius mused. Lily said nothing, she felt ill again, and they were becoming awfully blurry.

She started to walk off in the direction Hagrid had come from, pain in every shuddering step. Her robes were still wet with blood, and the gash on her shoulder was stinging as if someone had poured salt onto it. James, Sirius and Hagrid caught up to her.

"What's wrong?" Hagrid asked, bending down to look at Lily, whose faced was as pale as her name.

"I feel so sick, Hagrid. One of those things scratched me, and I feel, like I am going to…." Lily lurched to the side, and threw up again. Her throat burned and her eyes watered.

"Lily, shall I carry yeh back?" Hagrid asked. Lily shook her head.

"I am just as strong as Sirius and James. I can walk."

"It's not a question of how strong yeh are, Lily, it's more of a question of will yeh make it if yeh walk?"

"Yes. I'll be fine." Lily said. It was a complete lie, but she made it back to the castle before she collapsed.

Lily woke up to the sun shining on her bed. She smiled. She loved the warm feel of it, caressing her cheeks. It reminded her of her mother, who always opened the curtains to wake her up in the morning. This memory brought back the sadness Lily had been pushing away for the past few days. She rolled over, and buried her face in the pillow. Her shoulder thudded with a dull ache, but it didn't compare to the huge, sharp ache that consumed her chest, making her feel as if a dozen house elves were dancing on her heart. She couldn't cry, she had done it so often in the past week it didn't seem to mean much anymore. Against her own will, she started remembering her parents. Luckily, she was ripped from her thoughts by the loud voices of Angelica and Madame Pomfrey.

"What do you mean we can't see her?"

"She's hurt. She needs her rest."

"Just 5 minutes, no more. _Please_."

Madame Pomfrey sighed, but conceded. The next minute, Angelica had burst between the curtains surrounding Lily's bed. As Lily rolled over and opened her eyes, Angelica gaped.

"You look like shit."

"Angelica!"

"Sorry. But it's the truth. What did you and James _do_ in those woods?"

"ANGELCA!"

"Sorry, sorry. What really happened?"

Lily sighed, but told her.

"Ouch" was Angelica's profound reaction.

"Yes. Ouch. Is she letting me out of here today?" Lily demanded, glaring in the direction in which Madame Pomfrey had left. 

"She has to. We have to say the first part of the incantation today. Considering it's the last day of school and all." She giggled, and then stopped abruptly.

"Where are you going for Christmas?"

"Nowhere. I am staying here."

"I'd stay with you, but I have to go home. Mom expects me to."

"It's alright. I'll be alone for Christmas, but it won't be such a big deal. Just promise to send me letters at least 3 times a week."

"Promise. Now, come on Lily. There's fresh robes beside the bed. We have to get to breakfast."

Lily raised both eyebrows "I thought you said 5 minutes?" 

"I lied. Come on, I've got McGonagall's permission."

Angelica left while Lily got dressed, and then they left for the Great Hall (after giving Madame Pomfrey a note from Professor McGonagall that Angelica had forgotten she had)

As they entered, and walked towards the Gryffindor table, the voice of James Potter rang out "Oi! Angelica, Lily, over here." Lily turned pink, but followed her best friend to the seats that James and Sirius had obviously been saving for them.

James looked at Lily with concern "Are you alright? I mean, your shoulder?" he asked. Lily flushed redder, and nodded, sitting down between Angelica and Ruby.

"That's good. So you can do the potion then?"

Lily's features hardened. "Yes, Potter. I can do the potion. Don't you worry." She said, and turned to spoon herself some porridge. So that was why James Potter was acting so concerned- a good mark in Potions class. And there she was thinking that he wanted to be her friend. Disappointment flashed across her eyes. But nobody saw. They were too busy talking.

"Alright. Now, these words are important and the saying of them is a delicate process." Professor Barre looked at his class sternly. "So I suggest you practice saying them together first."

"Alright, all at the same time then? Without our wands." James said. They all grabbed their text books, and began:

Aer

Ignis

Orbis

Aqua

Constrictio

Ita noster

Primitus pars

****

Appareo

__

With Lily coming in at the end behind the rest of them.

"Let's try it again, shall we?" Remus said, smiling helpfully at Lily, who shrank under the glare that Severus was giving her. James kicked him under the table, and they tried again.

This time, they got it right, and so they all stood up around the cauldron. 

"One, two, three." Sirius counted them in, and they recited the incantation. The liquid started to bubble. Lily looked away, she didn't want to see anything in the cauldron. 

"Woah! Lily, you have to look!" Angelica tugged at her friends arm, but Lily refused.

"Hey! Who's the girl?" demanded Sirius, leaning in close to the cauldron.

"How are we supposed to know, Dogbreath. Figure it out for yourself." James said, straining to look at the face that had appeared in the cauldron.

"You may begin to see things in your cauldron. This is merely a side affect, and should not be thought of as true." Professor Barre said loudly.

"Hey! Lily, it's you! I'd recognize that face anywhere." Angelica exclaimed. "There's that tiny mole by your left eye! Why are you floating in the potion, Lily?" 

Lily had to turn and look. Sure enough her face floated in the cauldron. It grinned, and winked at them. Then it wiggled it's eyebrows. 

Lily grabbed her textbook "_You may see people you recognize in the Potion_" she read to them "_Don't be alarmed, usually, it's the person on one or more peoples minds. The Potion merely takes the most common thought, and shows it to you."_

"How odd. Who's thinking about Lily?" Angelica said, looking around the circle, grinning. No one answered. The Lily in the picture laughed at them, stuck her tongue out, and rolled her eyes. 

"I was thinking about me." Lily said suddenly "I was thinking about being a little girl, pretending to be a witch. I used to say that thing from Macbeth.. you know, double, double toil and trouble- dad taught it to me." She smiled, her eyes over-bright.

"Um, who else was thinking about Lily?" asked Angelica, as the picture changed. It was Snape, his face was melting like a candle. 

"That's my fault too" Lily said, smiling.

"Me also." James admitted.

Finally, the potion settled into a purple-black color. Lily smiled

"We finished this step successfully!" she crowed, and began to pack up her stuff.

Christmas vacation started the day after, and Ruby, Chelsea and Angelica all left. Normally, Lily would also go home for the holidays, but since she had no real home, she opted to stay. She moped around for the first two days and finally took a book of advanced charms out of the library. It was interesting, and Lily was so absorbed in it, she did not notice James Potter sit down beside her on the couch in the common room.

"Hello Lily Evans. What are you reading?" Lily glanced up warily, and then turned slightly pink.

"Advanced Charms" James moved closer so he could read what the book said and Lily felt her face turn red. She wondered why James was paying so much attention to her when she hadn't even known he was still at school.

"Interesting. Very interesting, Lily. Who're you planning to use this love charm on?" he asked, pointing to a spell rimmed in red and gold

"I was reading the other one."

"Oh. Eruch. Who're you planning to use _that_ on?"

"You if you keep interrupting my reading." Retorted Lily

"Oooh! Feisty aren't we?" James teased, poking her arm.

Lily grinned. This made James smile too. It wasn't that he _liked _her, he just couldn't stand having Lily so scared of him.

"Listen, Lily, Why are you so scared of me?" The question came as a surprise to Lily. She turned fire engine red, and quickly turned a page in the book.

"Well-" she said, then stopped.

"Yes?" James prompted

"Ummmm"

"Lily, don't be scared of me. Just tell me."

"Fine. But you can't laugh. I am really…nervous around people. Especially guys" Lily stopped, blushed redder, and rushed on " Because I completely way the srong things-er-say the wrong things! See, I hate this!" Lily threw up her hands, and hid her face in the book.

James laughed "Don't worry Lily- but don't be scared of me just cause you think you'll say something stupid. I am friends with Sirius, and half of the words that leave his mouth are stupid. Shall we be friends?"

"Ummm.."

"We're friends with Angelica."

"So we hang around together. That counts for-"

"Not. It's not the same. Because you never talk, and your scared to talk, and friends aren't scared to talk to friends. So are you my friend?"

Lily grinned again, and looked at James. _Remember about you decision, Lily?_ She thought _ Now would be a good time to practice it! He wants to be your friend, accept it! Don't be stupid!_

"Yeah. Friends" Lily said, reaching over to shake his hand.

"Great" _He sure seems happy about it._

"So, James, now that we're friends, what are you getting em for Christmas?" she asked, all innocence.

"Getting you?" James gulped, looking nervous.

"Yeah. Friends get friends gifts for Christmas" Lily said, as if he should know that.

"Really? Well, I mean, I got Sirius something, and Remus, Peter, but I didn't buy anything for any of my girl friends, I mean, my friends who are girls."

"Kidding, Potter. Just kidding." Lily turned red, as if making a joke was something embarassing.

James grinned. This had certainly turned out well.

"See you at the feast, Lily." He said, and got up.

"Bye James" Lily said, and returned to her book.

Ack! That was very mushy. Oh well, it's late, and I was struck with inspiration, so I had to write it. I have no idea how they will "get together" as of yet. Or what the potion is. Any ideas? Once again, sorry for any spelling errors. More in the next week, I'll try to squeeze in. I've been reading/writing to much HP fanfiction. I had a dream where I was Harry. My wand was a gray magic-marker. Oy vey!


	7. The Cats Pyjamas

On Christmas day, Lily woke up feeling less excited than she had ever been. She just couldn't get into the spirit of Christmas when her parents weren't able to enjoy it. She could rememebr large family christmases, way back to when she was five. She looked at her bed, not expecting many presents, and was surprized to see at least 6 laying there. She reached for the first one, and looked at the tag 

'To Lils, Merry Christmas! Don't you go getting into trouble while I am not there! Luv, Angelica'

Lily unwrapped the package carefully, and a large sheep stuffy fell out. Lily collected sheep stuffies, she had at least 10 of them. This one was a black sheep, and a tag around it's neck read

' Black Sheep aren't always bad, Lily. Remember that. They stand out, even if they don't want to'

Lily frowned at the tag, but kissed the sheep happily, and moved onto the next present. This one said

' Lily! We're having fun in Hawaii! We hope your having fun too! Merry Christmas- Chelsea and Ruby' She smiled at the lucky cousins, whose mothers had decided to take the families on vacation for Christmas.

Inside this package, there was a necklace made of coral, and a blank sketch pad. Lily loved to draw, and her friends knew it. She frowned at the other 4 lying on her bed. She crawled over, and picked the biggest up. It had no tag, and it felt rather light. She opened it, and a feather fell out. Lily frowned, and gingerly picked up the quill. It felt as if she held nothing. She got out a piece of parchment, and tried to write, but nothing happened. _I wonder what this is_ Lily though. To her amazement, the quill wrote it down for her. Lily gaped in amazement, and picked up the quill for closer study. Then she remembered the other gifts. 3 of them. She picked up another, this one from Professor McGonagall. She didn't think this very odd. She liked Professor McGonagall, and had tea with her sometimes, after lessons. Inside were chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, which were Lily's favorite, even if sometimes she was nastily surprised. The next one was from…her parents. Lily felt her eyes well up, and a deep sob escaped her throat. The tears swiftly followed, and she sat, wailing like a baby in her room, a deep sadness clutching and ripping at her chest. Foot steps on the stairs told her that someone had heard her, and sure enough, James Potter and Sirius black raced through the door, wearing strange hats and looking worried.

"Lily! What is the matter?!" Sirius demanded, walking over to the bed to sit down beside her. James knelt on the floor, and looked up at Lily. She shoved the package across her lap, and James read it.

"They must have sent it before hand." James said, patting Lily on the leg.

"Maybe you should open it." Sirius suggested, handing her the present. Lily sniffled, and nodded. She oh-so-carefully tore open the paper, and removed what was inside. It was a shawl, white and filmy, almost like gossamar, and it produced more sobs from Lily. It had been her mothers, and Lily had forgotten the promise "You can have it when your fifteen, Lily"

"Guys, can you just go, please." Lily said, motioning to the door. James looked at Sirius. "Alright," he said hesitantly "but we're coming to get you for the feast in half an hour, Lily. Theres no excuse to be moping on Christmas day." James said, and they left. Lily held the shall close to her. The pain was unexplainable, it was uncontrollable. 

Lily was woken up by a soft tapping on her door. She opened it, and Sirius stood there. 

"I've come to escort you to the feast" he said, trying to look, well, serious. Lily looked around him. 

"Where's James?"

"He left early, said he had to do something." Sirius said. Lily nodded, and walked ahead of Sirius, down the stairs, and to the dining hall. There they sat a one large table, with the teachers and the remaining students; 2 Hufflepuff 3rd years, 3 Slytherin 6th years, and 1 Ravenclaw 5th year. Professor Dumbledore smiled at the assembled group.

"Merry Christmas!" he exclaimed, smiling at them, as food appeared on the table. Lily started eating, and wondered where James was. When he didn't show up, her and Sirius loaded up on Christmas crackers, and trooped up to the common room. They put down the crackers, and began to look around. There was no one inside except…..

Sitting in the middle of the common room, looking angry, was a donkey.(if it is possible for donkeys to look angry) Lily looked quisically at Sirius. He picked up a card lying on the floor, and read it.

"IT's James." He said, obviously contaning his laughter.

Lily took a couple of steps closer, and looked at the donkey. "Oh yeah, I see now. It has his hair." The donkey attempted to bite her, and Lily leapt back.

"How did this happen?" she asked. Sirius handed her the card, which read "For James, even though your an ass. Merry Christmas, from Muriel" Lily read "Who's Muriel?"

Sirius smirked. "His old girlfriend who he dumped for a girl who wasn't really interested in him after all."

Lily couldn't keep a hold of her laughter, and it escaped her lips in a great bubbling chuckle. The donkey made a grunting noise, causing Sirius to start laughing as well.

"We" snort "Should probably t-t-try to" more laughter "Help him!" Sirius said, taking out his wand.

"I dunno, I kinda like him like this. Just think Sirius, we could give him to Hagrid to look after, and charge the first years a sickle each to ride on him!" Lily said, considering the option.

The donkey ran at her, and Lily screamed, jumping behind the couch. 

"Better turn Jamsie back, Lily." Sirius said.

Lily nodded as she emerged from behind the couch, and took out her wand. 

"Reverso!" she exclaimed. Nothing happened. Lily frowned, and tried another charm

"Amica Reverso!" she said. Still nothing. Lily looked at Sirius.

"Your better at transfigurations, you try." Sirius shrugged, and stepped forward. He tried several spells, but to no avail. Just as they were about to consider going to Dumbledore, who should walk in but Professor McGonagall. She looked from Lily and Sirius to the donkey.

"Why is there a donkey in the common room?" she demanded icily.

"It's James, Professor" Sirius said

"Why is James a donkey?" she asked

"Because he's an ass" Lily said, and then realized what she had just told the Professor.

"PARDON me, Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall looked appalled to hear her favorite student utter such a thing, and briefly wondered if Sirius Black and James Potter were a bad influence on Lily.

"I meant, Professor, I didn't mean _that_. I meant, James got a card from his old girlfriend, and it turned him into a donkey!" Lily hurried to explain.

"Ah, I see." The Professor waved her wand, said a few words, and James appeared on the floor, on all fours. Sirius offered a hand to help James up, but he brushed it off, and stood up by himself, trying to regain his dignity.

"Thank you Professor." He said, and turned to Lily

"Your very ungrateful" he informed her

"You looked so funny!" Lily exclaimed

"After all the trouble I went to to buy you a Christmas present!" he exclaimed. Lily was shocked into silence.

"Friends always give friends Christmas presnets, Miss Evans." He said, and walked over to a table where something wrapped in a large box was sitting.

"It's from me and Sirius." He said, handing it to her. Lily noticed air holes. She frowned, set the box down on the floor, sat down, and began to take off the paper. Inside, looking rather angry, was an orange kitten. A rather huge orange kitten. Lily squealed, and picked it up.

"This is so nice! And I have nothing for you!" she was near tears, and stood up, nearly squashing the kitten as she gave them both a hug.

"We thought you were a little too lonely." James said, smiling at his friend, who now had tears rolling down her face.

Lily nodded, enraptured with the kitten.

"What are you going to call him?" James asked her

"Crookshanks" Lily said decidedly. 

A/N I seem to have a thing for cats. Yess I do. Oh well. And if your wondering about the cat…..my theory is that Hermione was compelled to call her cat Crookshanks because it was the same cat. Cats DO live that long, ya know, specially if they're magical. Yeah, I know, it's a big stretch. So sue me. (Don't really please)


	8. A Funeral

A week into Christmas Vacation, Lily Evans attended her parents funeral. She went more or less alone. She was being followed by our two favorite Gryffindors (or two of our favorite Gryffindors.) James Potter and Sirius Black had been employed (without pay) by Professor Dumbledore, to follow Lily. Not because Lily was weak, but because he didn't like the idea of her being all alone.

Lily walked down the familiar streets of her childhood, stopping to look at a little yellow house, shielded from the sun by an expanse of miniature fir trees. She sighed, and leant against the fence. The house was empty now, but if she looked hard enough, she could still see children playing in the yard. Two little girls and a little boy. The oldest girl had blonde hair, and somewhat large teeth, but she was smiling happily at the other girl, who's brilliant red hair stuck out and had twigs and leaves in it. The little boy was blonde also, and he seemed to be the same age as the youngest girl. They were playing in the mud, building a large castle. The breese that blew across the yard seemed to carry their words to Lily.

__

"Petty! You can be the Princess, and Myles and me will be Unicorns!"

"I am a boy! I can't be a Uni-corn Lily"

"Yes you an, Myles. How do you think there are baby unicorns if there are no boy unicorns?"

"I thought you found babies in the pumpkin patch."

"No you-"

"Lily! Quiet, don't tell him! Member what mommy said after you told your class?"

"Yes Petty. Come on, Myles, you can be a wart hog!"

"Whats a wart hog?"

"A kind of monkey."

"Really? Cool!"

Lily smiled at the memory. But a dark cloud passed over her face. A month later, They had been playing ball, and it had gone over the fence when Lily kicked it. She had made Myles go after it, and he had not seen the speeding car coming towards him. Lily could still recall his limp body flying through the air, landing beside the road and…..she brushed the though away as well as a few stray tears, and swiftly continued her course. The graveyard was covered in trees and flowers, with tombstones poking up like bodies themselves, gray and broken, they marked the eternal beds of those departed. Lily saw the funeral procession up at the top of the hill. People dressed in black. She herself was wearing a long black skirt, a black shirt and jacket, which felt almost like robes, but made her look deathly pale. She sprinted quickly up to the procession, just as the priest uttered his last words 

"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust"

The words seemed to echo around inside Lily's head, repeating, mocking, until all she heard was Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. Over an over again, re-vibrating inside he head.

"Lily? Lily." The words broke her stupor, and Lily lifted her head to see her Aunt Nellie.

"Lily dear, how is boarding school?" she asked, pinching Lily's cheeks.

"Fine Aunt." Lily said to the woman whose only purpose for funerals was gossip. She wanted to slap her. But, luckily for both people concerned, James tripped over a rock coming up the hill, and fell out of his cloak.Luckily, he did it out of view of everyone except his friend. Lily looked startled, but Aunt Nellie, who followed the gaze of her niece, smiled.

"Is this your boyfriend, Lily?" she asked cheerfully.

"No Aunt, he's just a mate from school." Lily replied, coloring up to her ears.

"James Potter ma'am" James said, extending a hand, which Aunt Nellie shook. Then, after giving James an appraising look, she hurried off, probably to tell the others about Lily's 'beau'.

"What the hell are you doing here, James Potter?" Lily hissed angrily, just as her sister, Petunia, came walking towards them, followed by her elephant of a boy-friend.

"Hello Petunia. James, this is Petunia, my sister." James was astounded to see how little Lily resemble Petunia. Her sisters hair was blonde, her face square and horse-like, and her neck long, while Lily's hair was, of course, flaming red, her eyes green and sharp, and her face softly rounded. He extended his hand, but neither Petunia nor the man beside her took it, so after an awkward pause, he let it fall.

"Is this your…..boyfriend Lily?" asked Petunia icily.

"No, Petunia, it-he is not."

"I see." Petunia said, finally extending a hand, which James almost shook, until he saw that she was showing Lily the overly-large and rather tacky ring upon it.

"We're engaged. Myself and Vernon. This is Vernon, Lily." She said, Lily shook Vernon's hand, his grip almost crushing hers.

"Nice…to meet you" she said, gasping a little at the pain in her fingers. Vernon grinned, showing yellow teeth. Lily looked hurriedly at James, but he was too busy staring at the ground

"Our wedding is in two months time." Petunia prattled on "My dress will be white, and we will have hundreds of people at our wedding. Vernon is rich, aren't you dear?" Lily wrinkled her nose at her sisters obvious lack of tact.

"What kind of gift do you want, Petunia?" she asked.

"Nothing from you, you little freak. Did you actually think you'd be coming to the wedding? Not bloody likely!" Petunia spat, before walking off. James blinked. It had happened very fast

"Is she-"

"Yes, my sister has always been like this." Lily said, reading his mind. "Now her and Aunt Nellie will go off, and tell everyone how I am dating you. Only Petunia's version will be somewhat more lewd, and will trash my reputation. She'll say I am having your child, that we're only having a fling, and that you are only one in a string of many. Aunt Nellie will go on and on about how your going to ask me to marry you, and how we plan to have a huge wedding, with lot's of lovely decorations and people. By the end, the two versions will mix together, and everyone will think that I've changed quite a bit from the sweet baby they remember. If only they knew how true it is." This was the most honest statement Lily had ever made, and it warmed James quite a bit to her.

"So I'll ask you to marry me, then? Shall I? Wouldn't it be fun?" he asked, already loving the idea of fooling her relatives.

"No James. It's not appropriate, and I don't much feel like being made gossip of."

James shrugged, and slung a friendly arm around Lily's shoulders. She turned red, and ducked out from under it rather peevishly.

"Hey, that was a friendly gesture. What's the matter Lily?" James demanded, not understanding his new friend very well.

Lily stopped, and sat down on the wet grass, James sat beside her.

"I didn't want to come. Not especially. I just wanted to make sure…maybe Voldemort hadn't killed them. You know, maybe it was a sleeping spell only I could detect, or something like that. But people I know aren't supposed to die, James. I guess I am unlucky, but whenever I love someone, something happens to them. Mum and Dad, my cousin, Myles, my goldfish, Goldy." James was tempted to laugh at the last utterance, but didn't. "And every time it happens, it hurts more, and I can't tell anyone, and no one understands. Petty did, when we were little, but she hates me because I am a Witch. And now, the only person who's listened to me is a guy from my school who has only recently become my friend. And I have to wonder, do you know, James? Do you know what I mean?"

James had been finding it a little hard to follow Lily, but he nodded

"Yeah, I think so, at least. Voldemort killed my grandfather. He's, you know, after powerful wizarding families, and mine's one of them. And…I am scared of him." Lily didn't seem as shocked as he had thought she would be at his statement, especially the last bit. Maybe she thought he was a baby, James worried.

"Well, it's natural that you should be" she wiped a few tears away from her face, and James sighed with relief "But don't be scared, James. As long as you've got friends, we'll do anything in our power to help you. And, of course, Professor Dumbledore will too" she added as an after thought. James was very glad she had said 'we', He hadn't know that she really considered him a friend.

"Good. Now let's go get lunch…Sirius too, I guess." He said, because he (and the author) seemed to have completely forgotten the sly Gryffindor (those two words don't _really _seem to go together, do they) who was watching from a few feet away.

"What? Your not serious? He's here? Where is he?" Lily asked, standing up to look around her

"Under my invisibility cloak." James said, as if it was a normal thing "And of course I am not Sirius, I am James."

"You have an invisibility cloak?" Lily asked, slightly awed.

"Yes. And if Sirius doesn't remove it, he will get no lunch." James said, as Sirius appeared, grinning.

"Sorry, didn't want to interrupt the love fest" he smirked, as Lily glowered at him.

"Come on you two, lets get going." James said, stepping in between the friends.

They walked to the little café just down the street, and to a table by the window. James noticed a group of boys in one corner send Lily appraising looks, and felt just a little disgruntled. Especially when, after they had sat down, one came over, and pulled up a chair.

"Hi Lily. It is Lily Evans, right?" Lily looked up with surprise, but her face immediately slipped into a warm smile.

"Yup. And if I am not mistaken, your Marshall Warner. You were…my cousins friend." She said, her smile drooping a little. But the boy grinned.

"That's right. Where did you go off to, Lil? Petty told me you went to the mental asylum" here he snorted "But Petty seems to be the mental one-forgive my saying so- and I was wondering where you'd gone to?"

"I went to a Boarding school in Stratford. Theses are my friends, James Potter, and Sirius Black. You guys, this is Marshall Warner" she said, remembering her companions suddenly. Marshall shook their hands, and turned back to Lily.

"You don't look very different-well, your prettier. But other than that, you still look like that little girl who gave our whole class the sex-ed lecture!" he laughed out loud, and Lily turned quite red, both because of the compliment and because of the reminder. James raised his eyebrows, and Marshall grinned.

"I'll bet you can't see Lily ever doing that, eh? She always did like to share what she knew, there was another lecture about-"

"What have you been up to, Marshall?" Lily cut in, trying to save herself from embarrassment.

"School, and skateboarding, and a little acting. Not much else. How about you? Back for good?" he asked hopefully.

"No, unfortunately not. I am there till grad, and then I might come back." Lily reached up to help the waiter, who had arrived, with their burgers and shakes. Marshall stood.

"Well, Lily, it's been great seeing you- you need to write me. And don't forget to invite me to your wedding, you said you would when you were little, and I can't wait. I've been saving up for the wedding gift. What was it you wanted? A BiBi gun?" Lily laughed, but nodded

"I'll be sure to remember!" she said, standing up to give him a hug. 

"What's a BiBi gun?" Sirius asked Lily 

"It's a muggle weapon. You shoot bullets- they're like really hard metal rocks- out of it, and it-"

"I _know_ what a gun is. I just wondered what a _BiBi_gun was." Sirius said, indignant.

"A smaller version that shoots pellets, and isn't supposed to hurt things." Lily said. Sirius nodded, satisfied.

They devoured the burgers and shakes, but, as it turned out, James didn't have any muggle money, so Lily ended up paying.

"You owe me, James." She stated as they got up to leave, waving goodbye to Marshall "You owe me lunch."

"I know, I know" James said as they walked into The Leaky Cauldron to use the fireplace.

A/N: I know the whole "I am not Sirius" thing has been used a thousand bazillion times, but tough. This chapter was irrelevant, but it was needed. Make any sense to you? Nope, me neither. I tried to be descriptive, but I guess it gets rather morbid (So my little sister, Anya tells me.) Oh well, c'est la vie!!!!!!! I think James likes Lily by now, but she has no idea…how cliche am I? So, read and review, and I'll love you….well, not really, but do it anyways, kay? J


	9. What's an Animagi?

The next week back to school was a little uncomfortable for Lily. Thoughts kept popping into her head. Thoughts she wouldn't have ever thought of before. Because she had not known James Potter then. But every time she started crying about her parents funeral, she remembered how nice James had been. How he'd admitted he was scared. And a strange feeling came into her stomach, making it seem like her insides were doing flip-flops. This alarmed Lily greatly. She couldn't moon over James Potter. That was what other girls did. The pretty girls with whom James could be seen dancing, or going to Hogsmeade. Certainly he would never be interested in homely little Lily Evans. Lily had never lost her head over a boy. Never. And she'd be damned if she was going to now.

"Come on Lily, we have a free period before lunch, let's go practice flying!" Angelica called, arriving beside Lily out of breath.

"Why are you breathing so hard?" Lily asked, suspicious.

"Wouldn't you be if you'd thrown something slimy and disgusting at Luscius Malfoy?" Angelica demanded, laughing hysterically as she dragged Lily outside to the broom shed. 

They opened it up ,and brought out their brooms. Lily's was an older model, FastFlyer 100, but she was very good on it. Kicking off, she and Angelica made a mad dash up, until they were at level with the third story windows in Hogwarts. Angelica rode up higher, but Lily peered in the closest one, and nearly fell off her broom. It was the 5th year boys dormitory, and inside of it, Sirius Black had just transformed into a rather large black dog. She let her mouth hang open for awhile, as he mock attacked a laughing James Potter. As the two rolled around, play fighting, James happened to glance up at the window, and saw Lily. He pushed Sirius off, and pointed to her. Lily took off, speeding past Angelica. She was shaking, hardly able to grasp her broom.

"LILY!" she heard someone yelling faintly, and looked down to see James, Sirius, Remus and Peter on the ground. 

She pretended she hadn't heard, and pushed her broom up, climbing higher. She heard shouts, and ventured a look down. James had climbed on Angelica's broomstick as she landed, knocking the poor girl off. Lily was scared, James looked angry enough to kill her. When he got close enough, he reached out to grab the tail of her broom, but Lily shook her head, and went into a dive. James followed, obviously thinking she wanted to land, but instead, Lily veered right, and skimmed the ground with her toes. James managed to pull up in enough time that her fell in just behind her. Lily looked back, and frowned. She's forgotten that James was seeker for the Gryffindor team. It was useless, he could keep up with her. She gave up, and let herself land. James followed suit, and got off his broom.

"Lily, we need to talk."

"Why James, we talk everyday."

"Come On Lily" James said, dragging her along the grounds.

"Can I come?" Angelica asked, seeing the other three boys run off after her best friend and James Potter.

"No, sorry Gel!" James cried, 

"Please do!" whimpered Lily, as she vanished through the front doors of Hogwarts. 

"Lily, exactly what did you see?" demanded Sirius, sitting Lily down in a chair.

"See? Nothing." Lily looked at her fingers, which were entwined in her lap. She felt like a little kid being interrogated by her parents.

"Lil. We know you saw something."

"So what if I did, James Potter. I don't have the slightest clue what I saw, and I've been thinking, maybe I should ask Professor McGonagall." Lily said, not really meaning it at all.

"If you do, Lily, I will get you back so badly that you won't know what hit you. Do you know what the punishment for this is? Azkaban." Lily felt her eyes widen. She knew what Azkaban was.

"So what? Are you threatening me? How will you get me if your in Azkaban, James"

"Don't you care what would happen to us? Do you know what Azkaban is like? They kill you on the inside, Lily." James said

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I know what it's like. What people say it's like. And yes, I care what happens." Lily found herself blushing, and she refused to look at any of them.

"Are you gonna tell?"

"Probably not. But don't threaten me. I know I don't seem…mean. But I don't like being condescended to. Now, explain to me, exactly what was Sirius doing?" Lily managed to look at James. He could see that he had scared her, and felt rather bad about it.

"We're Animagi." He said, and Lily looked puzzled.

"Don't you pay attention in Transfiguration?" Sirius demanded. Lily shook her head, causing him to laugh.

"I thought you got good grades in everything."

"Everything except Transfiguration. I pass, though." Lily shrugged, making Sirius grin.

"Animagi are people who can turn into animals, Lil. I can turn into a dog, James a stag, and Peter a rat."

Lily nodded, and raised one elegant brow "What about Remus? What can he change into?"

"He didn't want to take the potion." James said, looking at Remus out of the corner of his eye. Remus was pale, and looked sick. Lily nodded, understanding.

"So, Lily, do you always spy on us from your broomstick?" teased Sirius. Lily shook her head vehemently, and turned rather pink. 

"No. Angelica and I were just flying, I happened to stop, and see you two. It's not as if your so interesting that I'd be compelled to spy on you. Your not that good looking that every girl in Hogwarts has a mad desire to see you without clothes on." Lily shot back at him. Sirius grinned.

"I'd have thought it would be James you were wanting to see." Lily gaped at Sirius, before clenching a fist.

"Rather you would, Sirius dear." She said, brandishing her fist in his face. Now Sirius roared with laughter

"I don't think a nice girl like you would ever hurt me, the love of your best friends life!" he proclaimed, bowing to her. Lily snorted.

"I'll believe it when I see it" she replied icily. She knew that Angelica liked Sirius, and Sirius liked Angelica. She knew they'd kissed after the fourth year ball. But she also knew that Sirius had never actually asked Angelica out.

"Are you daring me, Lily Evans?" demanded a rather distraught Sirius Black

"Sirius, I don't have time for this." Lily stood up, and accidentally stepped on Sirius' toe. "I have Divination, and I predict that I'll be late if you four don't let me go." Sirius grinned, and pushed her ahead of him.

"You forget, Lily, we have divination too. We'll just explain that you were spending some quality time with the four of us-"

"Oh no. No we will not. I'll get into trouble, thank you very much." Lily pushed passed James, and stalked out the door. Sirius called after her 

"Tell Angelica I send my love!"

"Tell her yourself!" Came the faint reply.

As Lily walked into Divination late, Angelica looked up at her, and grinned.

"You sure left quickly with those four boys, Lil. Don't tell me our little wall-flower has changed her ways."

Lily grinned sardonically at her friend, feeling slightly different. No color had leapt to her face at these teasing words. 

"Oh yeah, Gel. Most definitely." She said off-handedly, making the others gape. Just then, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter walked into the class room. James grinned and waved at Lily. The Professor was already making her way over to the young redhead.

"Miss Evans, why were you late." Her shrill voice rang out, causing some students to stare.

"Shouldn't you know?" the remark was out before Lily could stop herself. She did turn red this time, and also clapped on hand over her mouth.

"Pardon me?!"

"Nothing, Professor. I am sorry I was late. I was working on some…homework for Transfiguration." Lily stumbled over her answer, amazed that she had said something like that to a teacher.

"Fine. Sit down and be quiet Miss. Evans" Lily sank into a seat between Chelsea and Angelica. The latter was looking across the room at Sirius Black, a dreamy expression on her face.

Lily had to control her laughter. Potions class, however, wasn't so funny.

Lily was not late arriving, in fact, she was one of the first students. She sat down, and pulled out her Potions book. She was actually smiling, in a really good mood despite the fact that Professor Barre was mean, it was raining and she hadn't had the chance to eat lunch. But she felt very happy. The Potion had only one more step to it, and then it was finished. And they hadn't screwed up yet. This meant top marks for her in Potions. Well, after Snape, who the Professor favored.

"Lily" she jumped as James Potter looked over her shoulder at the book "Next ingredients is…a lock of hair. Hmmm." James lightly grabbed one of Lily's red tresses, and pulled on it slightly. Lily felt a shiver run up her neck.

"James, stop flirting with Lily!" Sirius said, sitting down at the table happily. 

"I wasn't flirting, Sirius. I was finding out the next ingredient to our Potion." James said, letting her hair go. Lily sat, frozen. That had been strange, certainly. James had never been that close to her before. And it had almost seemed as if he was flirting with her. Now she was uncertain, and she hated that.

"Lily? Liiiiily?" Sirius said, waving a hand in front of her face

"What?" she snapped, breaking out of her thoughts.

"Woah. No need to get angry. Can I see your book. I forgot mine." Lily handed over her book, and leant back in her chair. The other students began to pour in, but Professor Barre didn't show up. They waited and waited and……….waited.

"Where is the Professor?" Angelica asked, just as Professor Dumbledore entered the room.

"There has been an accident." He began to the startled gasps of all the students in the room.

A/N Dangit! I have to go to bed now. This chapter is not one of my favorites. But C'est la vie! Cliffhanger a bit there. Oh well. And I am *NOT* stalling because I don't know what the potion is! I KNOW! I just haven't had time to type it on the 'puter. It's all written down in my Science notebook.


	10. Petrifying Potions

A/N Sorry for the cliffhanger before, I had to end the chapter, and I wanted to post it. This just adds a weird twist to the story. You'll still get to see the Potion, don't worry!!!!

"An accident?" Remus asked, echoing Lily's thoughts.

"Yes, Mr.Lupin, an accident. I need you all to return to your common rooms immediately. Classes for this afternoon will be cancelled." Dumbledore's voice was uncharacteristically stern, and all of the students obeyed immediately. Lily packed up her books, minus the one Sirius had taken. He was still reading it. She cast a nervous look at Angelica, thoughts flickering through her mind. What was it that had happened? Angelica left with Sirius, so Lily walked to the common room alone. Her footsteps echoed around the halls. They were strangely empty, she didn't see a single student anywhere…

__

No, Please, not Harry!!!

Lily whirled around to where the voice had come from, but saw nothing. Her heart beat fast in her chest. Maybe hearing things was normal when a person was under a lot of stress. 

"After all" she consoled herself "Uncle Leo saw all those clowns."

__

Kill me instead…please!!!

Lily jumped and let out a small squeak of fright. She was sure she had heard that voice. Positive. She looked around her, up at the ceiling, and closed her eyes.

"I am not crazy, I am not hearing things. It's just my mind. I am not crazy, I am not hearing things, it's just my mind…"

__

Have Mercy! Nooo……..

Lily opened her eyes, saw no one, and took off running, her back pack split, and books went flying everywhere. She skidded to a halt, and turned, nearly tripping over James Potter who had appeared out of no where, and had received a book to his stomach.

"James, I am so sorry! Are you alright? Can you hear voices?" Lily asked, picking up her books as she talked

"I got hit in the stomach, not the head, Lily. I don't hear anything. Well, except you talking"

"That's not what I meant…never mind, James. Why aren't you in the Common room?"

"Angelica asked me to find you."

"Oh" Lily frowned "Why can't she come find me? Who says I need to be found anyway?"

James sighed "I don't know, Lily. I really don't. Lets go back to the common room. Something bad's happened."

"So everyone keeps saying. WHAT happened, James?"

James looked at Lily . She was angrier than he'd ever seen her, which wasn't saying much. She was sitting on the floor, Her books in her arms, nearly hiding her face from view. Her eyebrows were in a frown and her green eyes were slitted in anger. She looked rather funny. 

__

She looks rather funny. James thought _ And, actually, rather pretty as well. Weird how I never noticed it before._

"James? Are you alright?"

"Yeah. The Professor, apparently, blew himself up."

"What?!" Lily demanded, eyebrows raised, eyes wide.

"That's what one of the Prefects said. He mixed in the wrong ingredients for a potion, and it exploded in his face." Lily grimaced, and looked sad. James was surprised, he hadn't thought anyone liked the professor. Except maybe Snape, who was probably at that moment lamenting his death in private.

"Poor Professor Barre. I mean, he _was_ mean, but death…well…no one deserves to die" Lily looked down at her fingers. James regarded her for a couple of minutes, and nodded in agreement.

"No, your right. Come on, let's go back to the common room".

"Are you sure you couldn't hear anything James?" James nodded, and offered Lily a hand up, but succeeded in grasping her elbow, as she had her hands full of books. Lily staggered, but finally stood up straight. James grabbed her broken bag, and they walked off to the common room. The Fat Lady regarded them reproachfully

"Aren't you supposed to be in the common room? Can't have you lollygaging when You-Know-Who might be about. Young love is no excuse to put yourselves in danger, if you want privacy-"

"Cowswallop" James said, and the Fat Lady let them in, her lecture ringing in their ears.

"Lily!" Angelica said, disentangling herself from a crowd of students to run over to her friend.

"You scared me! Everyone's talking- You-Know-Who might be in the castle! I was worried you might run into him! That's why I asked James to go, don't be mad, but Tilly, she's in 1st year, was crying and-" 

"You-Know-Who's here?" Lily's faced paled, and she dropped all of her books upon the floor.

"I said it was a rumor, didn't I?" Angelica put a hand on Lily's shoulder, Lily was shaking from head to toe. She felt angry. How dare he. How dare Voldemort…be in the castle. She was so angry at being threatened, she forgot how scared she was. Rage boiled inside her stomach, and she clenched sweaty fists. Angelica moved her hand away, sure that Lily was going to faint, her face was so pale.

"How dare he!" Lily exclaimed, so loud that many people looked at her in surprise. "How dare Voldemort be inside this castle!!!!!" many people gasped, the name frightened them, but Lily ignored it. "I am so sick of being scared all of the time! I shouldn't have to be scared, should I?" She looked around the room, then answered her own question "No, I shouldn't. No one should. But we are, and it makes me so mad."

"Lily." Angelica grabbed her friends hand, worry in every part of her face "Calm down, Lily. It's probably just a rumor."

Lily considered this "Well, I am going to find out." She said, standing up she walked past Angelica to the portrait hole

"Wait, Lily. Oh for heavens sake!" Angelica exclaimed, running after her best friend.

Professor Dumbledore looked at the two girls sitting in his office. One, with black hair, looked nervous, like she did not want to be there. The other, whose flaming red hair and green eyes sparkled, was deathly pale, but had a determined look about her.

"What can I do for you, Miss Evans, Miss Ward?" the redhead spoke up.

"Professor, I heard that Voldemort was in the castle, and I want to know if it is true". Lily was talking as if she were the teacher, and him the student, and Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, and looked at the young witch. She returned his gaze evenly.

"He is not, Miss Evans. Do not worry. This is merely a rumor, and has not truth to it. Does that satisfy your question?"

"Yes Professor. Sort of." Lily hesitated, but barreled on "Could Voldemort get inside here? It's not that I am terribly scared, but I don't like the idea of him ever being close to me." Dumbledore smiled warmly

"Not a very likely situation, Miss Evans, do not worry." Lily nodded, a little perturbed that he kept telling her not to worry, but her and Angelica stood up, and left Dumbledore's office. It was time for dinner.

__

Hmmmmm, should I end it here? Nah, I still have at least an hour more in which I can write

Lily was lying down in the very empty Gryffindor common room the weekend of the unfortunate combustion of Professor Barre. She had taken up the whole couch, stretching to her full length while Crookshanks curled up happily on her stomach. Lily sighed, but did not stop reading her book, when the portrait hole swung open to reveal several Gryffindor Girls she did not know who came in talking hurriedly. They stopped when they saw Lily, however, and walked over to her. Lily realized that they were all first years and sighed again. First years always had an awful lot of questions.

"Are you Lily Evans?" asked a cute little girl, her brown hair in Shirley Temple-like curls all around her face.

"Yes." Lily said, as Crookshanks stretched one elegant paw across her chest, and began to wash his leg.

"Great! Professor Flitwick told me to ask you to tutor me in Charms! He said you were the best student in 5th year." She said this all in a rush, so Lily had to strain to understand her.

"Well, sure, I guess, when?" Lily said weakly, taken off guard by the sudden request.

"Is after dinner alright? Every Wednesday?" the girl asked. Lily considered this a moment, trying to remember if she had anything. She didn't.

"Sure. I guess you can meet me in the Library. What's your name?" Lily asked, looking up at the girl. Crookshanks meowed plaintively, as Lily had set down her book on top of him.

"My name is Celia Woodgrove" she said, extending a hand. Lily shook it, accidentally hitting Crookshanks with her elbow. The disgruntled kitten swatted at Lily's arm, but resumed washing his paws.

"I'll see you Wednesday, Lily Evans." The girl said, and walked off with her friends. Lily shrugged her shoulders, and picked up her book, which Crookshanks had knocked to the floor.

"You bad little thing!" she exclaimed, playfully pulling the cats fluffy orange tail "It's a lovely story, listen:

__

'You'd find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair' said Anne reproachfully "People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is…..'

Lily was so busy reading out loud to her cat, she didn't notice the group of girls come downstairs again. Celia smiled, and sat down in one of the comfy chairs to listen to her read, as did the other first years. Lily read on, casting a sly glance at her cat, who almost seemed to be smiling. Lily loved telling stories, but everyone here had much more interesting lives than she did, she hadn't read aloud or told any stories in a long time. She almost felt like she was at home. (The Author staggers backwards from her computer, not able to believe she wrote something so cheesy. It's this blasted flu, I swear)

In place of Potions for the next few weeks, the students had a study block. It was only temporary, until Professor Dumbledore could find a new teacher. It was Wednesday of the first week, and Lily was waiting in the Library for Celia to arrive. While she didn't really like tutoring, she knew that it had been a good idea to accept. Students who tutored got bonus points on their N.E.W.T's and O.W.L's. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned, thinking it was Celia. It was not, rather, it was James Potter, looking sheepish as he held out his charm book to her.

"Lil', I was wondering if you could help me with this charm?" he asked, looking ashamed. Lily smiled brightly

"Sure James. But it'll have to be quick, I have to tutor a first year Gryffindor. " James sat down beside her, and Lily nearly burst out laughing when she looked at the charm. It was a simple Revealing spell, and Lily had learnt it in her 4th year.

"Don't laugh at me, Lily. I really don't get it." James exclaimed, getting angry.

"No, no James. I'll help. Look." Lily pulled out her wand and a book. She opened it to one page, and said "Reveleao" writing began to appear in the book. James grinned.

"Is that your diary?" he asked, picking it up to read the page. Lily grabbed him around the wrist.

"No. Do you think I would put such a _simple_ charm on my diary?" she asked, and regretted it.

"Are you saying that I am stupid Lily?" asked James, still not giving her the book.

"No I am not, James. It's just anyone can figure out how to take the charm off."

"Except me, of course."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really" Lily reached for the book again, but her arms were too short.

"Promise"

"Yes, now give me my diary!"

"I thought it wasn't your diary." James smiled, and transferred the book to his other hand. Lily glared at him, and then slapped her forehead. 

"Oh, of course, I am rather dumb. Accico Book!" she yelled, as the Diary flew over to her. James frowned

"I forgot about that charm" he confessed, just as Lily heard someone clear their throat. It was Celia, and she was looking starry-eyed at James.

"Oh, I am sorry Celia." Lily said "I was just helping James with his charms. Um, Celia Woodgrove, this is James Potter. I don't know if you two know each other."

"Oh, James, you're the chaser for Gryffindor, aren't you?" Celia asked, smiling hugely. Lily stifled a giggle. Celia was obviously rather smitten with her friend. 

"Alright Celia, sit down, and we can start. I only have an hour or so, because, in case James forgets, we have a Potions essay due" Lily said, looking pointedly at a grinning James. Celia sat, and opened her books.

"Lil- can I call you that – I am having trouble with pages four to seven."

"Four Pages? But there's how many spells to a page?"

"Five or Six. Can James stay?" Celia said

"I see and yes, if he's dead silent."

"Yes mother." James said, making a face at Lily. Celia laughed as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. Lily raised both eyebrows, and smiled a little. Tutoring Celia was going to be fun.

After that first Wednesday, Lily had a little shadow. Celia followed her everywhere that was possible. Lily's friends had gotten used to having Celia pop up at the dinner table, cheer for Lily during a chess match, or come to see Lily in the middle of the night when a bad dream had woken her. And Lily, who had now heard Celia's praises of James countless times, found the whole thing rather funny.

When Professor Dumbledore finally succeeded in finding a replacement for Professor Bare, Potions class began again. The new teacher was called Professor Montgontry, and didn't particularly favor anyone. In fact, she rather liked the Gryffindors.

That particular day, the Professor announced that they would be continuing with their potions. Lily grinned, she couldn't wait to see what it was. They assembled the ingredients, and Lily rescued her book from Sirius.

"Damn it, I don't want to cut off any of my hair" Lily frowned. "It can be used against you, you know?" she said, turning to Angelica, who grinned

"You just want an excuse not to cut it!" she declared.

"So what?" asked Lily, taking her hair out of it's customary ponytail so Angelica could cut it.

"Be sure to get one of the under pieces, alright Gel?"Lily cautioned as her friend neared her with the scissors. Snip. The hair fell to the floor. James bent down, reached under the table, and picked it up for her. When everyone had cut off pieces of hair, they opened their books, and flipped to the page with the spell on it.

"Good, everyone done then? Now, you may commence with the spell. Don't forget to pay close attention to everything." Professor Montgontry said.

Lily opened her book, and read the Potion "It's called the Aegis Potion." She read aloud "It allows you to see a bit of your future. We'll be 21. Oh, no, wait, sorry. You get to interview your future self. Now you can't tell me that that's not weird." She said, looking at her friends.

"How does it work?" asked James, interested

"You drop one hair into a goblet full and say Aegis Ad initium Ad finem"

(A/N Translation: Ages. At the beginning. To the end. It's Latin)

then the person changes into their future selves, and you ask them questions for two minutes. Woah, that's not long at all. Be sure to ask me good questions you guys." Lily said, spooning some potion into a goblet.

"I take it your going first then?" Remus asked her.

"Guess so." Lily dropped the hair in, grimaced, and drank it down. "Aegis Ad initium Ad Finem" She began to change rapidly. Lilys hair became longer, and darker, she grew a few more inches, and her face looked older, and somehow, prettier. _Beautiful_, James found himself thinking.

"Hello? What do you guys want to ask me?" she said, sitting down beside a rather red-faced James Potter.

"What kind of job do you have?" asked Angelica

"I am an Auror, I work for the Ministry of Magic" Lily replied, twirling the ring on her finger

"Did you graduate with honors?" asked James. He'd really wanted to ask something else.

"Yes. Of course I did. You would have killed me had I not."

"Are you single?" Sirius said, asking the question James had had in mind, and earning a slap upside the head from Angelica.

"No. In fact, I am engaged."

"To who?" asked Remus as James listened carefully.

"Well, he's someone you know, in fact, he's in our year, in Gryffindor, he's….." the spell began to wear off, and the younger Lily blinked her eyes.

"Well?" she asked, looking at her friends.

"You're an Auror. You graduated with honors, and your engaged to someone in Gryffindor, who's in our year." Angelica said promptly

"Who?" Lily asked, flushing.

"We don't know, you came back before we could find out". Explain James rather regretfully.

"Damn" Lily said, spooning some Potion out.

"Me next!" James said. Adding his hair, he drank the potion and said the spell. He grew taller, his hair messier, and his face a little broader. He also became more muscled-probably from all those years of Quiditch-and his eyes sparkled brightly.

"So, James, are you an Auror?" Lily asked, smiling prettily at him. He winked at her, making her blush profusely

"Yes ma'am."

"We're you Head Boy like you always wanted?" Remus asked

"Yes I was."

"Who was Head Girl?" Angelica asked him

"Uh uh. Not saying Miss Ward." James winked at Angelica now, but all she did was glare at him.

"Did we win the house cup at all before we graduated?" asked a disgruntled Sirius.

James grinned so wide, it looked as if he was going to split his face "Ooooh yes! We kicked Slytherin ass!"

"And did Anyone find out about the thing?" Remus asked

"Yep. Lil' did, but don't worry, she hasn't ever told" James exclaimed as he faded into his old self. Lily raised her eyebrows

"What thing is this you guys?"

"Thing?" James asked, confused.

"That I get to find out about." Lily informed him

"Nothing" Remus said.

"I'll drink it!" Sirius said, rather quickly, obviously avoiding the question. Many of the same changes happened to him that had happened to James, except his hair grew longer, and his grin became almost maniacal.

Angelica grinned at him appreciatively "Hello Sirius! You look real nice as an adult" she said, not hiding the fact that she found him very attractive.

"Thank you, Angelica dear" 

"Are you an Auror?" asked James 

"I am. The best."

"Modest as ever." Lily grumbled

"Pardon me Lily?"

"I asked…uh…are you attached?" 

Yes. Oh yes I am! And she's georgous!"

Sirius changed back, and Angelica grabbed the potion, put the hair in, and said the word. Only nothing happened. She sat, seeming almost frozen. Lily waved a hand in front of her face.

"Angelica? What's wrong with her?" She asked

"She won't be here when you guys are grown up. She'll be dead." Snape sneered at her

"She'll be dead by the time she's 21?" Lily demanded, grabbing Severus by the collar of his robes. He loosened himself from her grip.

"You're a liar, Severus Snape! Just shut the hell up! Shut up!" Lily screamed and punched Snape in the nose. He went down and Lily, loosing her balance, followed, not stopping her assault of his features. By the time Professor Montgontry pulled her off, Snape was unconscious, and Angelica had returned to normal.

"What was I like?" she asked. Lily, James, Remus and Sirius exchanged glances

"You're a teacher here, DADA. For three years, breaking the curse!" Lily exclaimed.

"Your fantastically pretty" James put in

"You have one kid, Annabelle."

"Yes, and we are still dating." Sirius said, grinning at Angelica who blushed slightly.

"That's great!" he exclaimed, hugging Sirius happily.

Lily felt her heart stop briefly.

__

I am going to make sure that it doesn't happen. Ever. She promised herself solemnly 


	11. The Not-So-Awful Truth

A/N Lily's thoughts are in red and James are in blue. I finally figured out when Lily and James "get together"!!!!! Aren't you proud? Only, it will take some more chapters, kinda. AND I hope noone stops reading this because it takes a long time. But I figure if you really like it, you'll keep reading. Dear god, I hope you really like t J

****

Chapter XI

Lily sat looking on the window ledge, legs dangling outside, looking out the window, but not really seeing anything. The incident in Potions had shaken her.

"Lily?" a hand on her shoulder broke the stupor she was in. Lily looked up at James Potter worriedly.

"Hello James, are you up too?" Lily asked, wiping away any traces of tears from her face.

"Lily, it's only 6 p.m. You missed dinner. Angelica went somewhere with Sirius, she said you had a headache, and I came to find you."

"Find me? Why?" 

"Because you're my friend and I am worried about you" James looked at her like it was obvious.

"Really? Thanks James." Lily wasn't blushing and James saw her green eyes soften with tears.

"Are you still scared?" the question startled James. While he thought about it, he sat on the window ledge beside Lily; a tight squeeze, so that they were pressed, shoulder to shoulder.

"Yes. I am scared." James said after awhile. He looked sideways at Lily, who was gazing out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. James found himself fighting an urge to reach over and kiss her. 

__

Where did that come from? Get a hold of yourself, Potter.

"Truly scared? I am truly scared. Was Snape right, d'you think, James? Do you think she's going to die?"

"Love, I'd-" James stopped himself, what had he almost said?

"What did you say?" Lily turned her gaze from the Forbidden Forest, and looked at James. It was hard to tell in the gray light, but was he blushing?

"I said I'd love to be able to say no" James rushed on "But I can't." Lily raised her eyebrows, but didn't comment on his slip up, which James was grateful for.

"I know. I've been looking" Lily jerked a thumb to the books on the floor behind her "But I can't find anything. Theres no way to see the future."

"Unless you're a seer…" James suggested

"Seers are absolute fluff, James Potter" Lily said, pushing him a little with her shoulder.

"Maybe, maybe not" James said, playing with the hem of Lily's sleeve. 

__

He's acting really strange Lily thought, leaning into the wall to look at James out of the corner of her eye _He's gorgeous. Wish I didn't like him so much._

Out loud, she said "James, do you think that Angelica's pretty?"

James panicked inwardly _Dear god, what am I supposed to say to that? Tell her yes? Gels' her best friend…_

"Ummmm…yes?" _No, wait, not my answer! I take it back!_

"Yeah, I figured you would. Most guys do. She's the pretty one. Do I seem jealous?" 

"Uh-"

"I am not, it's just- why only her? I love her dearly, I mean, she's my best friend, but, I am sick of being ugly."

"Your not ugly Lily" James said, finally getting a word in

"Oh, I know that, I am not trying to fish for compliments, I am not. I am just going off on little tangents, you'd be best to ignore me. I just need to tell someone. You know what I mean, doncha? With you and Si- no, I guess you don't. Your cuter than he is, but that's-"

"You think I am cuter than Sirius?" James broke in grinning. Lily flushed a deep red.

"Of course you are, everyone knows that." James mulled over the idea for a minute, liking it immensely.

"So you see how I can feel… overlooked, right? When your bets friend is way more popular with the boys than you are-" 

"Oh yeah, more popular with boys. I totally know what you mean." James said. 

Lily raised both eyebrows. "Are you making fun of me James Potter?"

James smiled "Maybe a little".

"So you are making fun of me? Mr. Potter, I am wounded!" Lily exclaimed, bringing one hand back to her forehead in a dramatic sense. Loosing her balance, she toppled backwards from her window seat, pulling James with her. They fell on the floor with a loud thump, Lily laughing so hard that she was hiccuping.

"Well well well." Lily stopped mid-giggle and James reddened, as Sirius smirked down at them.

"Well hi, Sirius. Lovely weather were having!" Lily exclaimed, punctuating the sentence with a hiccup. James wondered if his friend had had maybe a few too many butterbeers.

"What are you and Lily doing, James?" Sirius asked his best friend bluntly.

"Uh…talking."

"Like that?"

"Yeah."

"I see." Sirius was obviously enjoying himself, and this made Lily a little angry, she hated being laughed at. She sat up slowly, as James had fallen on her arm.

"So Sirius, what were you and Gel doing?" she demanded, just as blunt as he had been.

"Uh-"

"See. Nothing happened here. But something obviously happened where you two were. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to my best friend." Lily untangled herself, stood up and walked off. Sirius, for once, was speechless.

"So, Prongs." Sirius sat beside his friend on James big canopy bed.

"What Padfoot" James glared at his friend, and flipped a page of his Quidditch book.

"What do you think of Lily?"

"Lily?" James reddened. "She's a nice girl"

Sirius grinned "Do I detect a tinge of pink upon they snow white skin?"

"Shut up Shakespeare." James grunted, busying himself with his book.

"Who?"

"Never mind" James put down his book and frowned at Sirius.

"Why all of the questions, Padfoot?"

"No reason, Prongs dear." Sirius stood up, and made his way over to his trunk.

"So, Sirius, where were you and Gel?" James said by way of shutting him up. Sirius paused in the middle of picking up a book.

"Nowhere. I don't kiss and tell."

"So you admit that there was kissing?"

"I admit to nothing" Sirius said rather huffily, then changed the subject "We've got an official Hogsmeade day tomorrow, do you want to come?"

"Who else is going?" James asked warily

"Oh, Lily, Gel, Moony, Gel's friends, Chelsea and Ruby," Sirius smiled at James "oh, and Wormtail." The pudgy Peter Pettigrew was seldom seen with his only three friends (Padfoot, Prongs and Moony) and Sirius, who hadn't liked him very much to begin with, did not like him very much at all anymore.

"Well, I guess so. Yeah, I'll go."`

Sirius looked pleased "Good."

"Yeah…listen Sirius. Can I trust you not to say anything to anyone?" James was looking at the floor.

"Sure you can James, we're best friends aren't we?" Sirius said, acting serious.

"What do _you_ think of Lily?"

"Lily Evans?" Sirius asked, just to annoy his friend.

"What other Lily do we know?" and exasperated James demanded.

"Good point. Well, she's cute, I guess, and Gel says she's funny. I bet she'd have lots of friends if she wasn't so shy" he stopped and looked at James. "You like Lily, eh Prongs?"

"As a friend, yes, of course I do" James rubbed the back of his head in thought "Maybe even more than a friend. I don't know, really, Padfoot. She's really easy to talk to, even if she is shy, and she makes me laugh…" he trailed off, blushing a fierce red.

"Awwwww!" James' head snapped up at the sudden noise.

"That's so cute!" Angelica exclaimed, stepping into the room from her listening position in the doorway.

James felt panic rush to his face "Angelica, don't say anything to anyone, got it? You will regret it."

"Is this how you show affection, James? Threatening people? Lily told me you threatened her."

James heart skipped a beat. Had Lily told Angelica why?

"Did she say about what?"

"No." Angelica pouted, this was obviously a sore point with her " She wouldn't say anything, she only looked upset when she mentioned it. But I think she's forgiven you, after all, you two were talking, right?"

James felt relieved on both accounts, because she hadn't told, and she wasn't angry. He made a mental note to apologize to Lily for threatening her.

"Come on, James. How about you and Sirius play exploding Snap with me?" Angelica asked, pulling out a pack from inside her robes.

James looked at Sirius and they both grinned as the three settled down to play cards.

"Hogsmeade Weekend!!!!!" Sirius yelled, bouncing into the room that Angelica, Lily, Ruby and Chelsea shared.

Angelica was the only one up and she grinned sleepily at him from where she was standing before the mirror.

"If they ever get up" she nodded at her sleeping friends.

"We'll soon fix that. Don't worry about it Angelica!" Sirius said, motioning to two people behind him. James and Remus entered, identical evil grins on their faces.

"Who's the hardest to wake up?" Sirius asked Angelica.

"Oh, Lily probably. She fights when you try to wake her up, I'd watch it, though. She sleeps with her wand under her pillow." Angelica said off-handedly.

Sirius walked over to Lily's bed, and drew the curtains. He leapt back in surprise as someone reached out and grabbed his collar.

"Do not try to wake me up, Sirius Black" a sleepy voice hissed at him "Or you will feel sorrier than you ever have." Lily pushed Sirius back, and closed the curtains with a small grunt of disapproval. Angelica was falling all over herself in laughter.

"Like I said, Lily is not a morning person. She's the most stubborn person I've ever met."

"Hello? Angelica? I can still hear you, you know." Lily's voice came floating out from behind the curtains.

"Yeah, I know Lils."

"It's Lily."

"Sure thing…muffin." Chelsea had woken up, and was smiling at the words of Lily's disembodied voice.

"Muffin?" Sirius said, laughter in his voice "How sweet!"

Lily's red head popped out from between a gap in the curtains. She delivered a glare at Sirius with as much venom as she could muster so early in the morning. But it faded quickly because Lily was not an unpleasant person. 

"If you guys leave, we'll get up and get dressed" she said, by way of compromise. Sirius smiled

"Awww, you mean we can't stay?" he asked, as Lily's head disappeared, and was replaced by one of her beloved sheep stuffies. Sirius ducked as it came flying past his head. He picked it up and surveyed it.

"Cute. You've lost your ammo, Lily dear." Angelica shook her head

"She has about ten of those, Sirius. Maybe you should go." She pushed the three boys out the door as Sirius muttered

"Ten? Someone likes sheep."

Lily quickly got up, and got dressed in her green robes. Then she brushed her hair, and frowned. The curly mass on her head just wasn't behaving, and her idea of wearing it down wouldn't work. She pulled it into a French braid, sighed at fact that nothing ever seemed to go right, and went to wake up Ruby with a shot of freezing water to her face.


	12. The Confidant

A/N Good thing it's Spring Break! I love spring break! Except it ends in 4 days L Hey, the reason I am writing so much is because my sister has been…..forcing me to. So you can thank her for the chapters which keep popping up. It's her fault! Also, Peter isn't evil yet. Not until his 7th year. I don't know if it says that he was evil before then, but oh well.

Soon the group of friends (accompanied by Peter, who doesn't really count as a friend) joined the writhing mass of students destined for Hogsmeade. Lily was jostled from all sides, and stepped on at least once. 

"Ow" she hissed, as Peter Pettigrew stepped on her foot.

"Sorry." He piped up. Lily bit the nasty remark she was going to make off of her tongue when she saw how nervous he looked and smiled 

"It's alright, Peter. I am Lily, by the way, I don't think anyone introduced us." She offered her hand, even though she was a little afraid of loosing it to the massing students around her. Peter blushed, and shook her hand, shocked that a girl was speaking to him, and being nice. He wasn't exactly a ladies man.

"I-I am Peter." He said, than slapped his head mentally when he realized she already knew his name.

"I know." Lily said, just as James came up along side of her, and threw a friendly arm around her shoulders. Peter felt himself scowl, sure that, as usual, he was going to be overlooked for James. But Lily obviously had other ideas. 

"Hi James." She said, smiling at her friend, as she turned back to Peter " What's your favorite subject?" she asked. Lily had a habit of asking stupid questions to make conversation, and she was afraid that this was one of those times. But Peter grinned.

"Charms." He squeaked

"Really? Mine too!" Lily returned the smile while James noticed Sirius, and caught up to him.

"Did you see that?" he asked, dubious.

"Yes I did. Lily ditched you for Peter!" Sirius exclaimed, thoroughly enjoying the shock on his friends face.

"I know." James said, sulking. In fact, he sulked all the way outside, and as they climbed into carriages. Lily sat next to Peter, talking happily about charms. Poor Peter was beside himself trying to answer her questions. He liked charms, sure enough. But apparently not as much as Lily did. Some of the things she was mentioning he'd never even heard of. He shot a pleading glance at James, who ignored him.

"Well, I um, like Quidditch too." Peter said, hoping to change the subject.

"Really? That's great." Lily said, lapsing into silence because she avoided talking about Quidditch at all costs. She began to play with a piece of her hair that had come loose. Peter looked around him uncomfortably as James smirked.

"So, what are we going to do once we get to Hogsmeade?" Angelica asked, resting her head full of black curls (A/N I don't remember if I said how Angelica looks before, but she has black curly hair) on Sirius' shoulder.

"Whatever we want."

Ruby looked at Lily "Hey Lily, we could visit the Shrieking Shack, you said you always wanted to, and now that there's so many of us, we'd be safe."

Lily hadn't really been listening to the conversation, she'd been looking out the window.

"Huh?" she asked, rather drowsily. Carriage rides always made her drowsy.

"I said we could visit the Shrieking shack." Ruby grinned at her friend.

Lily considered this, and, in doing so, happened to look over at Remus. His face had gone very pale at the mention of the Shrieking Shack, and he looked sick. She frowned, worried about her friend.

"Are you alright, Remus?" Lily asked him. Remus shrugged.

"Just feeling a little sick, Lil."

"Let's not, Ruby." Lily glanced at Remus. Was it just her, or did the color suddenly seeped back into his face?

"Are you scared to? Chicken?" Ruby asked, and clucked a couple of times.

"Yeah, I guess so." Lily replied, earning a grateful smile from Remus. She didn't know what was the matter, but she made a mental note to ask him later.

"We could go to Honeydukes." Chelsea suggested.

"We have to go to The Three Broomsticks to see about renting a room, Lily." James said. His other friends gaped at him.

"I meant a room for Lily for this summer you idiots." James said, feeling himself blush.

"Sure, sure James." Sirius grinned at his friend.

"Oh, just shut up Sirius." James said, eyes flashing. Lily smiled laughingly.

"We'll have to go see, James." She agreed "Besides, you owe me lunch, remember?"

"Oh yeah." James groaned, he'd forgotten.

"Hey James, you can buy everyone lunch!" Sirius exclaimed as the carriage pulled to a stop, and they began piling out.

"Gee, thanks Sirius."

"What are friends for?"

They assembled in front of The Three Broomsticks, and tried to decide what they would do. Unfortunately, they all wanted to do different things.

"All right, everyone be quiet a moment!" Angelica yelled, shutting them all up "First, we go to Honeydukes, then to Zonkos, then we go to that new bookstore, then the post office, then we can go to the robes shop" here Sirius groaned "Then the pet shop, then James can buy us lunch, then we can go back to Honeydukes, then home. Is that alright?"

"Yes!" they chorused, and set off. 

Lily walked beside Chelsea, talking about Charms, which Chelsea knew a great deal about, although not as much as Lily.

"Have you ever heard of the Fidelous charm?"asked Angelica, popping up between them (A/N I don't think I spelt Fidelous correctly. It's the secret keeper charm)

Lily nodded "Yes, I think I have." She said, missing Angelica's muttered "Damn."

"It's the one where you go into hiding, and give the secret of your hiding place to one person, who keeps it in their soul. Then, whoever's looking for you can't find you, even if you are right under their nose. Unless, of course, that person betrays you. But normally, people pick the most trustworthy person they know."

"You got it right. Is there a charm you don't know?" Angelica asked, defeated.

"Of course there is. Many."

"Do you know of any of the Dark Curses?" Peter piped up. Lily's face fell.

"Yes. Quite well." She said as Sirius punched a bewildered Peter's arm.

"Look, Lily, Honeydukes has a new fudge!" Remus said, pointing at the sign. Afterall, he owed her one. Grateful for the distraction, Lily entered the store.

"Come on Lily, hurry up and decide." Ruby said, 

"One minute. I am trying to figure out which one costs more." Lily answered, as James emitted a large groan

"What did I ever do to you?" He asked, acting hurt.

"You made fun of me. Now be quiet, or I'll order dessert as well." Lily grinned behind the menu. 

James sighed, and studied her face. Tiny whisps of hair were coming out of the loose braid she'd pulled her hair back in. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold outside, and her lips seemed very red. She had a tiny mole on her cheek. One so small he'd never noticed it before. Her eyes were wide, and sparkled as she decided the best way to spend his money. _She's cute even when she's trying to bankrupt me _

"I've got it! I'll have Yorkshire pudding, and bangers and mash, and a salad! And to drink, a nice large butterbeer, and for dessert-" 

"Hey Lily, you said no dessert!"

"I lied. For dessert, cauldron cakes for everyone. You do have enough money, don't you James?" James glared at her of course he did, and he didn't mind spending it on Lily either. He just didn't want to spend it on everyone else. There were 8 of them, after all.

"That will be 8 galleons,5 sickles and three knuts." Madame Rosmerta winked at James "That's with a 5% discount because your girlfriend ordered so much."

"We're not boyfriend and girlfriend" Lily said, raising an eyebrow at Madame Rosmerta.

"Oh. I see." the woman smiled, and went to fill out their order.

After the meal, the friends went to Honeydukes again, then back home with the other students. Half of them fell asleep on the carriage, Lily among them. She woke up just as they pulled into the grounds at Hogwarts, and smiled sleepily. It had a been a great day, she was sure of it. And she'd bought quite a bit at Honeydukes. She was the last one out of the carriage, and she though that no one had waited for her, but she was wrong. James appeared beside her, and she smiled at him, feeling as if she could fall down any minute.

"Are you excited about the summer?" he asked her.

"Yes. In two months, I'll be living at The Three Broomsticks!" Lily exclaimed, fully awake now.

"And you guys will come visit me, right?"

"If you want us to." Lily stopped to tie up her shoe, conscious that James was standing very close to her. When she stood up, she found herself facing him.

"Lily" James said, and Lily felt herself turn red, even though he'd only said her name.

"James, we really should go inside."

"Wait! I want to tell you something." James looked nervous, and Lily felt panicky. 

"I like you a lot, you're a really good friend, but I mean" Lily stopped listening to James. It was happening, and she was terrified. She liked James tremendously, but he'd had so many girlfriends, and he'd hurt each of them. And she'd never had a boyfriend, not one. And she'd been hurt so much this year, she was sure that she couldn't deal with more pain.

"Lily, I like you, I- Dammit, I mean…" James leant forward, and kissed her. Lily felt a rush of happiness, but she quickly clenched it. It couldn't happen. Not now, James would break her heart. She stepped back quickly.

"James, don't do this." He words came out in a whisper, and her voice trembled "I can't do this. Find someone else, James. Find some pretty girl who doesn't care. But not me, James. Not me." Lily turned away, and walked to the front doors of the castle, her cheeks wet with tears. James stood where she had left him, feeling as if she had stabbed him in the heart (A/N Awwwww, poor Jamsie.)

Lily was laying on her bed, face down in the pillows, sobbing. She was so angry at herself, and at James, and at the world in general. That's why, when someone entered, she didn't look up.

"Lily Margaret Evans! You are an idiot!" Angelica stormed in, and sat down on Lily's bed.

"I thought you LIKED James. You talk about him enough."

"I never said one word to you." Lily said, her voice muffled.

"You talk in your sleep, dear Lily. Why did you just say no to James."

"Because I felt like it."

"I doubt it."

Just then, Lily's door banged open again.

"Lily, you are an idiot!" Sirius entered (A/N boy, he friends aren't very sympathetic, but it's alright, they're just mad. Why? They _know_)

"What are you, and echo?" Lily demanded, sitting up "I don't care about your opinion, Sirius. As far as I am concerned, you can go to hell!" Lily screamed, and tore out of the bedroom. Lily's feet pounded down the stairs, and through the common room. Heads turned to stare as she skidded out the portrait hole, right into someone. She didn't say sorry, but tried to run again. Only the someone was holding onto her arm. She turned to see Remus.

"If your going to tell me I am an idiot, you've been beaten to it." She snarled

"I wasn't" Remus looked genuinely hurt "I thought you might like someone to talk to. Someone who's not mad at you and James." Lily was surprised. They were friends, but not very close, and they'd never really talked about anything important before.

"Yes, I would." Lily followed Remus to the owlry, where they sat, facing each other, by the floor to ceiling window.

"Alright, tell me, Lily."

"Remus, James told me that he likes me. He kissed me. I am scared." Lily said shortly, not really wanting to embelish.

Remus looked at Lily quizzically "Do you like him?" he asked.

The pale light from the half-moon struck Lily's face making her look strange, not like Lily Evans at all. She bit her lip "Yes." She said after awhile.

"Then what's the problem?" Remus asked her. Lily sighed

"Because I am scared of being hurt, I am scared James will treat me like all of his other girlfriends- we'd break up after a little while because he didn't like me anymore. I've seen him do it before."

"How do you know that would happen with you?" Remus asked.

"Well, it happened to everyone else. What's so special about me?" Lily asked him. Remus smiled.

"Maybe e really loves you." He suggested. Lily shook her head.

"Probably not."

"Allrigth. Maybe you should tell him how you feel, about everything. I'll bet he'd understand."

Lily thought for awhile.

"Remus, don't be angry, but I can't tell him. I don't know how I'd cope if we got together, and then broke up. I'll love from afar." Remus sighed, but patted Lily's hand.

"Alright. That's fine, Lily. Are you ready to go back to the common room?"

"No, you go. I want to be alone. Please don't tell anyone, Remus. And thank you." Lily said, squeezing her friend's hand. Remus smiled.

"I won't, and your welcome." He got up and left, and Lily leant against the wall. She let herself cry freely as she mourned what she had lost.

__

It'll take him a couple of days, but he'll get over it. He'll have some other girl by next week. I almost wish I'd let him kiss me. Maybe I'd rather have him for a little while then not have him at all. 

Lily, however, was wrong. James didn't have another girl. He looked sad, and Lily felt horrible. He wouldn't talk to her, or look at her, or anyone else, for that matter, and Lily found herself spending more and more time alone, or with Remus. Sirius was angry at her, and so was Angelica. Ruby and Chelsea were supportive, but they had made friends with some Ravenclaws, so they weren't around her as much. Lily felt desperately alone.

Finally, after two dreadfull months, the last day of school came, and Lily went down to the feast alone. She sat down at the table, and stared down at her plate. Which is why she didn't notice Sirius or Angelica sit beside her, until Angelica tapped her on the arm. 

"Lily? I am sorry, I haven't been very supportive. Friends again?" she asked. Lily looked up, and nodded. Angelica wrapped her in a hug as Sirius cleared his throat "I am sorry too, Lily. I was mean. It was your decision, after all." Lily smiled sadly at him, and squeezed his arm. They spent the feast talking, until it was time for her friends to get on the carriage to the train, and Lily's time to get on one to Hogsmeade.

"We'll come see you this summer, soon as we can!" Sirius and Angelica promised. Lily nodded. It was going to be a long summer.

A/N Don't kill me, we all know they kiss and make up in the end. Actually, not too long now. Just gotta get through the summer, some sadness, and part of their 6th year. About Angelica dying, well, you'll have to read and find out. Sorry. I'll say this, one of Lily's friends does die, so be warned. Actually, it will become pretty obvious very soon which one. At least, it should.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it means a lot to me. Before I got this, maximum reviews I got was 4. *sniffs* Thanks you guys.

You know what I want? I conversion chart, for muggle money to wizarding money. It would be handy. Has anyone seen those two new HP books that came out? Quidditch through the Ages and the one about Magical creatures (the reason I have the Quidditch one's title is cause it's right here beside me)


	13. Dun dun dun, unlucky thirteen!

Lily started working for Madame Rosemerta as soon as she arrived. The woman, not much older than Lily herself, was glad to have the kind, energetic girl working for her. Lily was a hard worker, and her shift, from 7:00 am to 2:00pm, worked perfectly. After, she would do homework, or walk around Hogsmeade. In the second week of vacation, at around 1:00 p.m., she felt someone wrap their arms around her shoulders in a tight hug. Turning around, Lily saw Angelica, grinning broadly.

"Come to bug me, have you?" Lily joked, looking from one to the other.

"Sorry Lily, when are you off?" Sirius asked, waving at Madame Rosmerta

"In about an hour". Lily grinned, and handed a place of cauldron cakes to a smiling boy.

"Oh, too bad Lily, we were going to play Quidditch at James' house."

"I don't care to see James." Lily said, handing the boy some sickles as his change.

"Sure you do. You looooooooove him!" Sirius exclaimed, dancing around the counter.

"I do NOT." Lily said huffily.

"And you expect us to believe that because you look so incredibly innocent. It's not as if you turn red every time we say James."

"I do not." Lily turned away to hide the blush that was creeping over her cheeks.

Angelica laughed at her friends antics.

"Besides" Lily continued "James is probably too busy with some girl. We all know James' obsession with the fairer sex. Since I've known James, he's had an innumerable ammount of girlfriends, each who he's dropped for the next girl. Who's to say he wouldn't have done the same to me? Or worse, he would have stopped liking me, but still pretended he did, in hopes that I would leave him. So no matter how much I like him, it's not going to happen, and I'd thank you to not mention it anymore!" Lily couldn't help sniffling a little.

Sirius looked abashed, just as Madame Rosmerta appeared. 

"Lily, I am closing early today. I've got a family emergency. Here's the key to the back door , you can get to your room. I'll be back tomorrow at 12:00pm" she handed Lily a tiny silver key, and smiled at them as she waved customers out of the shop.

"Alright Rosie" Madame Rosmerta had asked Lily to call her that "I'll see you tomorrow!"

As her friends followed Lily upstairs, she turned to them "Talk about dumb luck. That leaves me free, so I guess I'll come. Who else will be there?"

"Us, James, Remus, Peter, James' sister, Calliope, and Marcus and Jonathan, who are my cousins." Sirius said.

"Peachy. Let me change into my black robes." Lily said

"Why? You look pretty." Angelica asked Lily.

"These ones will get dirty."

"In the air?"

"They're too tight?"

"Look fine to me." 

"Shut up."

"Then come on Lily." Angelica pulled her friend back down the stairs, and out to the back yard where they had parked their brooms.

"Here Lily, you ride my broom, I'll sit with Sirius" Angelica said, climbing behind him. Lily grinned at her.

"Whatever you say, Angelica Black." she smirked

Angelica didn't even answer.

As they flew into James' yard, Lily became nervous. She didn't know if she really wanted to be there. Especially when she landed and Calliope sent her a glare. Obviously James confided in his sister quite a bit.

"Hi guys, this is Lily." Sirius said, pointing to the still nervous girl.

"Hi." Lily smiled hesitantly at the group of people standing around her. "I am Lily Evans."

"I am Jon, this is Marcus. And that is Calliope" A tall boy with black hair stepped forward to extend a large hand to Lily.

"Hello. You don't attend Hogwarts, do you?" Lily asked in a small voice, for Calliope was making her nervous.

"We graduated a couple of years ago. What year are you in Lily?"

"Sixth."

"Oh, I see. Too bad. One year older and it could have been beautiful between us." He smiled winningly, making Lily blush and James clench his fists.

"Well, shall we pick teams then?" Marcus asked, butting into his brother's reverie.

"Yes." Sirius said, elbowing Jon hard in the stomach. While Jon was shooting daggers at Sirius, Angelica managed to find a hat from somewhere. She conjured up the names on itty pieces of paper, and dropped them in the hat. Then Calliope reached in, and pulled the first 5 out.

"Alright on team one: Sirius, James, Jon, Peter and…Lily." The last name was almost sneered, and Lily felt herself going red as she walked over to join her teammates.

"Fifteen minutes to discuss strategy and pick who plays what position, then we play." Sirius told them, and pulled his team into James' garden shed.

"Alright, first we-"

"Sirius, can we discuss this somewhere else? It's really hot in here." Lily asked him.

"No, and please be quiet Lily." Sirius said, muttering something about feminine weakness. Lily scowled, and flicked her wand ever so slightly. Sirius did not notice the flowers that had begun to appear in his hair. It was a rather simple spell, but Lily felt satisfied. And she couldn't help grinning a bit as the other three boys looked at Sirius' now blossom filled head, and smirked. 

"Alright, who's who?" Sirius asked, angry that they were laughing at him, and he hadn't actually done anything funny.

"Well, I am Peter, and this is Li-"

"I meant on the team, Peter."

"I knew that." Peter scowled, his joke falling flat.

"I'll be keeper." Jon said immediately.

"Fine, and of course James will be Chaser." Sirius put in "Which makes me and Peter Beaters, and Lily seeker."

"Why am I seeker, pray tell?" Lily demanded.

"Easy. Your skinny, smallest, and-"

"I get the picture Sirius. Now hurry up with the strategy, please. My robes are sweltering." said Lily impatiently.

"Strategy? I have none." Sirius confessed, hanging his head in mock shame as Lily muttered something that sounded like "Useless prat"

"Then you think of something, Miss High-and-Mighty." Sirius growled. Lily bit her lip. She didn't really want to say anything but…

"Well then, I will. First of all, Angelica is going to be Chaser. She prides herself on her ability to do the position, and even if she is very good, she tends to give herself away. You see, before Angelica does something, she tends to, well, say she was going to turn left, right? Her head will tilt to the left before she does it. It's great, I can plot her course sitting in the stands. And Remus, much as I love the bugger, doesn't like flying high. He always goes low, always. Only I haven't seen him fly much, since he's not on the team with the rest of you."

The boys looked rather shocked.

"How do you know this?" demanded Sirius.

"Easy." Replied Lily, a smug look on her face. "You made me come to every game last year, and most of the practices because you thought I would be lonely."

"Ah, I see. If your so smart, Lilliekins" Sirius said, half-angry " Then what else do you suggest we do?"

"First of all, Sirius, I am not an expert, I never said I was. I haven't even played more than once or twice. And secondly, Sirius, I don't know much else about Quidditch…well, nothing I am telling you anyway."

"Fine then, here's the plan." Sirius leant in, and the others followed suit. 

"Hurry up you guys, we want to play!" Angelica's voice yelled from outside the shed. Lily jumped, and managed to hit her hand on a trowel in the process. 

"You guys…and Lady Lily, of course, understand the plan? Good. Lily, James will lend you a broom, and then we can play." Sirius said, standing up. James handed Lily a broom- much better than the school brooms, she noted happily- and followed Sirius. Jon offered her his arm, but Lily shook her head, shrugged an apology, and left a rather miffed looking Jon and a grinning Peter in the shed.

"Alright, three, two, one, man and woman your brooms!" Calliope called, pushing off as everyone followed. Lily pushed off with great speed, feeling herself soaring over the field in which they were playing.

Lily, in truth, was a very good flyer. Not excellent, like James or Sirius or Angelica, but rather good. _At least I can stay on the broom_ she laughed to herself, watching Peter struggled to regain his balance as Angelica blew past him. Lily surveyed the rest of the players. There was James _ Didn't take you long to find him. Your pathetic_ Lily admonished herself. But he was nice to watch. He flew so well, he made it look like poetry _ My, my, my, corny as well are we?_ Lily couldn't help bugging herself. Was it her fault that she always thought sarcastically? 

"Oi, Lily, look out!" someone called. Lily broke out of her day dream in time to see a Bludger come flying at her. She ducked, and let it zoom over her head, where Sirius caught it, and winged it at the offender, Calliope. 

"She plays rough, eh?" he whispered to Lily. "and to think, you could solve it all by just admitting that you-" Lily glared at him, and gave him a good shove out of her way. She guessed that she would find the snitch, and end the game. It would be nice to get away from the Potter family, they were dangerous to ones health. 

"Hot Dog! That's 150 to 70, our favor!" Jon yelled, doing a summersault with his broom.

"Hot dog?" Lily wondered aloud, earning a shrug from Peter. Just then, as if she had been somehow compelled, Lily turned her head and saw the tell-tale flash of yellow. She sped off towards it, flattening herself on her broom to gain speed. Sliently, she streatched out her arm, she was almost there, then, suddenly, she felt something hit her in the stomach, and with an oomph that made her feel sick, she plunged forward, minus broom, right overtop of the snitch. 

"Ahhhhh!" Lily yelled, managing to grasp the top of her broom with her left hand. She felt something fall down inside her robes, and grimaced. Had she hit a bird? But she didn't really have time to wonder what it was. At that moment, the most important thing was making sure that she lived to be sixteen. Lily looked at her friends pleadingly. Already James and Angelica were speeding towards her, getting ready to grab her arms.

When they finally did reach her, Lily felt rather uncomfortable. Whatever was in her robes was moving around, and it was getting very discomforting. Besides that, Lily was uncontrollably ticklish. This resulted in her half laughing, half panicking as she was lowered to the ground. But when she stood on shaky feet, she remembered the thing in her robes. Much to the amazement of everyone, she reached down the front of her robes, and pulled out the snitch.

"We won." She stated, before rushing over to a clump of bushes to throw up; as result of the bludger.

"There's pumpkin juice and some cake in here, if you all want to come inside!" Mrs. Potter yelled out the door at them. Lily removed her head from the bushes, and grinned queasily.

"Great! Food." She managed to choke out. Angelica grabbed her under one arm, Remus under the other, and they followed everyone inside.

The Potter house was very nice inside, Lily noted. The air smelt of spices and pine, a combination Lily loved. She half wondered if James smelt like his house, but banished the thought from her mind. As they sat down at the kitchen table, James introduced his friends. Mrs. Potter scrutinized them all, especially Lily. She was a tall, pretty woman, with short black hair and sparkling blue eyes. She had an air of authority about her, and Lily instantly liked her.

"Are you alright Lily?" she asked "I saw you fall. Did Calli hit a bludger at you? She's a rough player. Calli, how many times have I told you? Let you brother fight his own battles, he's sixteen now." Mrs. Potter said, admonishing and comforting at the same time. 

"I am fine Mrs. Potter." Lily assured her, taking a rather large sip of pumpkin juice.

"Just as long as your not really hurt. I am glad young girls are playing more rough sports" Mrs. Potter stated "It's nice to see young girls getting out there with the boys! I hate it when people think women should be confined to their kitchens! Honestly I"

"What time is it?" Angelica interrupted, looking panicked

"4:00 p.m. why?" James wanted to know

"I had to be home at three, I gotta go. Are you coming, Lily?" Angelica asked, getting up.

"As long as I can use the washroom first." Lily said

"fine, but hurry up." Angelica insisted

"James will show you where it is, love" Mrs. Potter told Lily. She got up, and followed a rather ruffled looking James down the hallway.

"This is it, you know how to get back, right?" James turned without waiting for an answer

"James, wait." Lily grabbed his sleeve "Can we still be friends?" she asked, wanting to say something completely different. James shrugged. 

"Maybe." Was all we could say around the lump in his throat.

The rest of the summer was rather boring for Lily, until one day, as she was working behind the counter, a girl plunked herself down on one of the bar stools.

"Ello!" she exclaimed in a rather pronounced cockney accent as she flung back a sheet of long blonde hair "Could I ave a butterbeer please?" she plunked down seven sickles, three knuts (A/N if 5.99 is 14 sickles 3 knuts, then it could be half of five, which is 2.50….. and it's prolly not right, but oh well, because it's close enough.)

"Sure. Are you from Hogwarts?" Lily had become quite the conversationalist over the summer. Her job required it. She was also quite pleased that she had lost most of her initial shyness. But that's what growing up is for, after all. And besides, she still turned red sometimes.

"Yes. Only we just moved to Hogsmeade. I am in Ravenclaw, which house are you in?"

"Gryffindor. I am Lily Evans, by the way." Lily extended a hand, which the girl shook warmly

"Ann McKinnon." The girl smiled.

A/N Well, that's chapter 13. Unlucky 13, oooohhhh. Maybe the whole thing will get deleted, hmmmm?????? I want to know if anyone figures out (it's be in one of the chpters 12-14) who dies. I think it's fairly easy, after all. But it's a rather big part of my story. I've got lot's planned out, but so little time to write it in. Grrr. I am in a play, and we have rehearsals 4-5 times weekly, each around 4 hours long, and then there's homework…..urgh. Please review!!!!!


	14. Wishin' and Hopin'

A/N This chapter is rather irrelevant, but I love writing irrelevant chapters! It's weird, but since it's fairly late (Friday night, and I just watched 'What Lies Beneath', which kinda freaked me out) it is also deranged and weird and strange and so forth. Be warned.

Lily and Ann went by themselves to get their school supplies, because Ann was extremely shy, and didn't want to meet Lily's friends, and Lily didn't want to see James. They had bought all of their supplies, and had just come out of Flourish and Blotts (Lily clutching a rather large book of Potions with a grin) when someone slammed into her, almost knocking her over.

"Woah." She puffed, looking down at the small girl who had knocked the wind out of her. 

"Lily! I am so glad to see you!" Celia released Lily from the hug, and bounced backwards, almost making Lily drop her gigantic book.

"It's nice to see you too Celia. How was your summer?"

"Great, just great! Guess what? My little sister is coming to Hogwarts. Her names Danielle!" Celia seemed to be overcome with excitement.

"Great. Where is she? Do I get to meet her?" Lily asked, not particularly excited about meeting Celia's sister. Celia herself was rather hard to handle.

"She was here, but you'll have to wait to meet her, they've left already. I'll see you later, Lily. I just wanted to say hello to you! See you in September!" she exclaimed, and, delivering one more quick hug, dashed off.

"Who was that?" Ann asked, helping Lily heave the book up further, as it had begun to slip.

"Celia Woodgrove. I tutor her in Charms at school. She's rather hyperactive, isn't she?" Ann nodded, but she seemed to be looking past Lily. Lily followed her gaze, and saw James Potter, who was standing just next to Lily. Lily turned red. Very, very red.

"Lily? The others just went to get your birthday present, and I…wanted to say that I am sorry for being such an ass. Are we friends again?" James wasn't looking at Lily, and he looked much more humble than she'd ever seen him.

"Of course we are!" Lily wrapped her friend in a hug, blushing slightly as she released him. She was rather pleased to see that James was red too. 

"Oh, James, this is Ann McKinnon." James grinned at Lily's friend

"Hi Ann, how have you been?" 

"Alright, I guess."

"I am sorry about your Aunt." 

"Thanks." 

Lily had watched this exchange with a look of surprise.

"You two know each other?" she demanded of them, narrowing her eyes.

"Nope. I am just incredibly psychic." James grinned. "What do you think, Lily. Our families are friends."

"Obviously James. I knew that." Lily said, letting herself wonder what her friends were getting her for her birthday, which was September 12th (a day after mine, hehehehee)

"Lily? Mum and dad are waiting for us at the Leaky Cauldron. We should go." Ann said, casting furtive glances towards the exit.

"Alright, yes, let's go then. Bye James, see you when school starts." Lily said, smiling at James before she followed Ann, almost dropping her book. James watched Lily go, the smile disappearing from his face.

As they got back to Hogwarts, Lily and her friends settled into a comfortable routine of school, work, and play. (Breug, that sounds weird) Lily continued tutoring Celia in Charms, and sometimes they were joined by James. But not very often, because there was still a rather uncomfortable feeling between the two friends, which Lily hated.

It was around the first week of October that Lily began having strange dreams. Not frightening, just very odd. Often, she woke up at 4 am to find that she could only remember bits and pieces, although in every dream, a person with untidy black hair and blue eyes was present.

> Lily woke up on Saturday to the sun peeking into her window. She blinked, and surveyed the room. Something seemed strange, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Judging by the empty beds, her friends were already up. She sighed, she'd probably missed breakfast. She got up, and got dressed, and brushed her hair. Then she went downstairs to the common room. When she walked in, Lily got the feeling that something just wasn't right, but brushed it off. She saw Angelica's head poking over one of the comfy chairs, and made her way over.

> "Hi Gel." She said, smiling at her friend. Angelica only shook her head sadly at Lily.

> "Did you dream about him again?" she asked Lily, who blushed and nodded. It was true, she had been dreaming about James a lot lately. 

> "Wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin', " Angelica said, tapping her foot.

> "Plannin', and dreamin' each night of his charms," Ruby continued, tapping her foot as well and looking at Lily with a smile on her face.  


> "That won't get you into his arms." Angelica said, standing up and facing Lily. Suddenly, to Lily's great surprise, Angelica broke into song

> "So if you're lookin' ta find love you can share...  
All you gotta do is:   
Hold him, and kiss him, and love him,   
And show him that you care."

> Ruby and Ann joined in, jumping up as well. Lily was too shocked to wonder why Ann was in the Gryffindor common room.

> "Show him that you care, just for him.   
Do the things that he likes to do.   
Wear your hair, just for him..."

> And then Angelica, who had jumped up on one of the tables and was doing a strange dance, took a solo.  


> "'Cause you won't get him thinkin' and a-prayin',   
Wishin' and a-hopin', just..."

> "Wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin',"

> Lily noticed more voices, and looked around her. The common room was filled with singing first years, all decked out in choir robes. 

_

> I've lost it

_ she thought. 

>   
"Plannin', and dreamin' his kisses will start,   
That won't get you into his heart." 

> Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sirius popped up, and jumped on the table beside Angelica. _Oh dear god._ Lily though. Sirius was a terrible singer.

> "So if you're thinkin' of how great true love is,"

> he sang in a falsetto voice

>   
"All you gotta do is:   
Hold him, and kiss him, and squeeze him, and love him,   
Just do it, and after you do,   
You will be his."

> Angelica ran over, and tried to pull Lily into the dance. When she refused, Angelica shook her head, and continued singing.

> "Show him that you care, just for him.   
Do the things that he likes to do.   
Wear your hair, just for him.   
'Cause you won't get him thinkin' and a-prayin',   
Wishin' and a-hopin', just..."

> The first years joined in with gusto, many of them clapping their hands choir style. Lily sank to her knees, and buried her face in her hands. _This isn't real. Someone's cast a spell. Oh my goodness._

> "Wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin',  
Plannin', and dreamin' his kisses will start,   
That won't get you into his heart."

> Ann and Ruby grabbed their friends' wrists, and pulled her to her feet. 

> "So if you're thinkin' of how great true love is," chirped Ann in her alto voice

>   
"All you gotta do is:"

> Now everyone was singing, and Lily was blushing furiously.

>   
"Hold him, and kiss him, and squeeze him, and love him,   
Just do it, and after you do,   
Ann sang "You will be his..."   
Angelica sang "You will be his..."   
"You will be his... " everyone chroused, the last line was drawn out, and Lily though she might die of embarrassment.

> "What if I don't want to be his?" she yelled at the common room "You can't tell me to do anything!"

> "Lily, Lily? Come on, we have to get to breakfast, we'll be late for class. Whose aren't you?" Angelica was shaking her. Lily sat up in bed, and looked around her.

> "What day is it?" she demanded. Angelica looked at her strangely 

> "It's Friday, Lil. And we have Double Potions with the Slytherins first, AND the new teacher already hates me, so I don't really want to be late."

> "Oh. Alright. I'll be right there." Lily said, standing up. _I am going nutters. _She though, pulling on her robes _ I've lost it. I've gone over the edge, jumped into the deep end, I am two bricks short a load, cracked, loony, daft and insane. I've got to stop dreaming about James Potter._

> A/N Did that make any sense to you at all? Meh. It gets better. AND we may see a little more romance next chapter. Yessssss. Sorry I kinda rushed the year in bits and places. I just want to get to the good part, and have nothing really interesting to write about some parts of the 6th year. R and R please!


	15. Oh! I have an ill-divining nature!

"Miss Evans, can you tell me what kind of root we need to make a complex love potion?" Lily jumped as Professor Jordan, the new Potions teacher, slammed the tip of his wand onto Lily's desk. 

"Ummmm….mandrake?" Lily asked her, blinking tiredly. Even though she'd slept well all night, she felt exhausted.

"Wrong Miss. Evans. Had you been listening, you would have heard me say that Boro-root is used in the most complex love potions. You also would have heard me say to put your assignement s on the corner of your desk. Since you were not listening to anything I said, I will take 10 points from Gryffindor, and you will get a zero on your homework."

"Fine." Lily yawned, not meaning to sound disrespectful.

"Are you being cheeky?" Professor Jordan demanded.

"No Sir."

"5 points more from Gryffindor."

"What? Why?" Lily asked him angrily.

"5 More points. Miss Evans, if you keep up, you will loose the house cup for the Gryffindors." Lily sighed loudly, and didn't say anything.

"Go see Professor Dumbledore Miss. Evans. I will not have a little snippet of a girl making fun of me!" The Professor yelled. Lily stood up.

"Alright. I am leaving then. See you later Professor Jordan" she snapped, her tiredness getting the better of her. She scooped up her backpack and books, and stalked out of the room. As she crashed into another student who had been running in the halls, her snarled "Watch it" Could be heard by the class.

Lily stood in front of Dumbledore's office. Not knowing the password, she sat down to wait for Professor Dumbledore to arrive. Lily found herself humming the song from her dream, because it was stuck in her head. It had, in fact, been quite a favorite of hers up until that morning. She also felt herself yawning. (A/N first and last time I use that word, now I can't stop doing it) 

"I am going to fall asleep if I stay here much longer." Lily mumbled to herself. "And I am hungry. I wonder if I have an chocolate frogs left?" But Lily didn't have time to check as the gargoyle she had been leaning against moved out of her way, and she found herself sprawled on her back at the foot of some stairs. 

"The password is: I wonder if I have any chocolate frogs left?" she demanded of nobody in particular "What kind of password is that? It's bad if you ask me! Anyone could just be walking by and say it, and then they'd have access to this office!" The door slid close and Lily panicked for a brief moment, before lighting her wand with a simple "Lumos." She began to climb the stairs, until, as she reached the top, she heard voices.

"…..full moon. And I don't want to fail the Charms test the next day, but how am I supposed to study, Professor?"

"Well, Remus, I think you should explain to Professor Flitwick. All of the teachers know about your situation, and perhaps you could take the fire charm final early?"

Lily, who never ever listened on conversations that didn't directly concern her, knocked loudly on the door. The conversation inside stopped abruptly, and she heard a chair scrape the floor. The next minute, Professor Dumbledore appeared at the door.

"Miss. Evans, a pleasure as always. Why are you here?" he asked, ushering her inside.

"I was being cheeky in Potions." Lily confessed, hanging her head.

"Oh, I see."

"I also overheard your conversation, Professor." Lily said, feeling guilty, but wanting to make up for it "And I could help Remus with his Charms if he wants to take the test early."

Remus smiled at his friend, even if he was rather nervous that she had heard more than she was letting on. He'd never seen her so abashed as she was at that moment.

"I am sure Mr. Lupin will agree to your helping him, Miss. Evans. Now you two, go to the dining hall, classes will be over in about 10 minutes, and lunch will begin. Nothing like double Potions with the Slytherins to work up an appetite, hmmm?" he said, pushing them out of the door before Lily could even ask about detention.

"Why are you so worried about failing the test after the full moon?" Lily asked Remus as they walked past the gargoyle (whom Lily shot several glares at)

"No reason really…Lily, can you not ask why?" Remus said, looking at his seemingly very interesting hands.

"Well, yes, I could do that. I was only worried, is all. But I won't ask, not unless you want to tell me." Lily said, feeling slightly hurt.

"I want to tell you." Remus stopped walking, and turned to look at Lily "I just don't know if you'd like me at all when I do tell you."

"Why wouldn't I? Remus, honestly, I'd still be your friend if you were a Vampire." Lily raised an eyebrow "Coincidentally, your not, are you?" Remus laughed dryly

"Not quite…I am a werewolf, Lily." Lily opened her mouth and closed it. Then she looked at Remus quite hard. He squirmed under her gaze, scared of what was coming next. But his friend just threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Remus! Wow! I am sorry that you were scared to tell me that! Honestly, I know it seemed like I was shocked, well, I was. It is rather shocking news. But you're my friend, one of my closest. You're the only one who knows how I feel about James, and I wouldn't hate you just because of who you are!" Lily explained in a whisper. Remus relaxed, and returned the hug.

"Come on Moony, dinner time." Lily smiled and winked at him, having figured out the nickname she sometimes heard James, Sirius and Peter use.

That night Lily borrowed James' invisibility cloak from Sirius, who had been using it to go down to the kitchens, and went to visit Ann. She knew the password, because when she proposed visiting her friend some nights, Ann had told her. The Ravenclaw common room was almost deserted, and Lily choked back a snort of laughter. Obviously the Ravenclaws believed in lots of sleep. No wonder they managed to stay awake in History of Magic. Ann was sitting at one of the tables, copying notes. She had told Lily that none of her dorm mates really seemed to like her. Maybe because Ann, although incredibly smart, wasn't very social at all. Or maybe because her family wasn't really normal, and some Ravenclaws, nice as they could be, tended to be snobs as well. Lily walked over to her friend, and tapped her on the shoulder. Ann spun around, terror appearing on her face. Then Lily realized that she had the cloak on, and took it off. Ann sighed, and shook her head.

"'Lo Lily, how are you?" Ann smiled warmly at her friend as she put down her Arithmacy textbook.

"Alright. How are you?" Lily asked, taking a seat across from Ann.

"Good, I guess. Listen, Lily." She said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear "Mum and dad said to invite you to stay for a weekend this month. They said that they wanted to see you again." Lily smiled; she had become good friends with the McKinnons over the summer.

"I'd love to visit for a weekend!" Lily exclaimed happily. 

Ann grinned as well "Great! How about this weekend? I already asked Dumbledore, I just though" she smiled, looking a little shy "That you might want to come."

"And you were right, as always." Lily said, picking up Ann's Arithmacy book and making a face. Lily was terrible at math, and didn't take Arithmacy (A/N is it an option at Hogwarts? I think it is, but I am not sure…..)

"Geesh, Ann, these problems are hard." Lily stuck her tongue out at the book, which made a rather rude comment to Lily, who dropped it on the floor.

"I didn't know it talked." She said, bending over to pick up the book.

"My brother bewitched it. He says it's because I keep falling asleep in it every time I study all night. But it just won't shut up." An said regretfully "It even talks when I am trying to go to sleep. Sometimes, I think I might just set it on fire, but then I remember mum said that if I destroyed one more textbook, she'll kill me…" Ann trailed off, seeing that Lily was laughing.

"Where are the rest of the Ravenclaws?" Lily asked after she'd calmed down.

"Asleep. Even if it's Friday night. We can leave tomorrow at 9am? And get back Monday Morning? It's no classes because it will be Halloween. Are you going to the ball?"

Lily had completely forgotten about the whole affair, and so she shrugged. "I dunno. Probably not."

"You should! Mum could take us shopping in Hogsmeade for costumes! And I've never gone to a ball yet!" Ann exclaimed, jumping up.

"Well, I don't know. I don't really see myself wanting to dance with anyone, or be asked to dance…" Lily said

"Then wear a mask! Oh, do say you'll go, Lily! Please!" Ann said, grabbing her friend's hand. 

"I guess so. Yes, I'll go. What should I be then?" Lily asked, caught up in Ann's cloud of excitement. 

"Hmmmm, lets see….." both Ann and Lily sat back in thought.

"How about a Princess?" Ann suggested

"Nah. I was a Princess when I was 8."

"A faerie?"

"Maybe. Keep thinking. How about a cat?"

"You don't seem all that cattish, Lil."

"Meh, it was an idea. I could be…"

"Lil, do you have any idea what time it is?" Ann asked, blinking sleepily.

"No."

"Well I do. It's already Saturday. I suggest we turn in, and I'll come get you at 9 am, alright?"

"Alright." Lily agreed, and, taking the cloak, ran back to her common room. As she came in the portrait, she saw James, and smiled warmly.

"Here's your cloak. I hope you don't mind, Sirius lent it to me."

"No, I don't mind. Where did you go?" James asked, taking the cloak from Lily.

"To see Ann, I am visiting her house this weekend."

"Really? But what about the ball?"

"Oh, I'll be back for that. We're going shopping in Hogsmeade. What are you going to be, James?"

"Well, I am going to be…I don't really know yet. How about you?"

"I don't know either. We're going shopping in Hogsmeade."

"Great. Want to save a dance for me, Lily?" James asked, flushing because he was embarassed and also because he was worried that she would say no.

"Yes, well, if you don't mind having your toes stepped on." Lily consented, then glaned at the clock.

"Dammit, it's already 1:30! I should go to bed, I'll see you tomorrow, James." She exclaimed, and began climbing the stairs. James watched Lily go. 

"I think I love you, Lily Evans." He whispered and felt a strange foreboding.

__

O God, I have an ill-divining soul!  
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,  
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb:  
Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale.

A/N I don't know if the quote works. It's from Romeo and Juliet, and one of my favorite lines. Anyways, the next chapter will be sad, warning to you all. Thanks for reviewing! 103 reviews, wow! THAT is a happiness booster, to be sure! J J J yay!   



	16. Death Comes to us all, Lily Evans

**__**

A/N Warning, there is violence and perhaps a little gore in this chapter, so be warned.

On the morning of her departure, Lily woke up at 8 am, and panicked. She wasn't packed, she wasn't ready, she hadn't eaten, and she wanted to have a shower. She flew out of bed, had a quick shower, and, at 8:22, she ran down through the Gryffindor Common room, and to the great hall. Much to her surprise, she found James, Sirius, Remus and a rather disgruntled Peter already sitting at the Gryffindor table.

"Lily! Heard you were going, just wanted to give you an early birthday gift." Sirius called out. Lily stopped short. No one knew when her birthday was. In the 5 past years she had been at Hogwarts, she had never told, and her presents had been dropped off discreetly in her room. 

"E-early birthday present?" she squeaked, looking nervous. James smiled and nodded, patting the seat between him and Sirius. Lily reluctantly sat down, feeling rather nervous. She knew they were going to sing happy birthday, and she hated that song with a passion.

"Yes. For your birthday. On the 31st?" Remus said, smiling as sweetly as he could.

"Oh. You guys don't have to." Lily told then, putting cold Yorkshire pudding on her plate, followed by a toasted bagel, eggs and hashbrowns. 

"Oh, but we want to. So here, Lily, open this up and tell us how much you love it." Sirius grinned, handing Lily a package. Lily shook it carefully, smelt it, and finally put it on the table to the amusement of her friends and some of the teachers who were watching. 

"If this is something mean, neither one of us will be very happy after I open it." She warned them, brandishing her wand threateningly.

"Lily, I am wounded!" Sirius cried, pretending to faint onto Remus. Lily snorted, but carefully began to unwrap the present, casting nervous glances in the direction of the teachers, particularly Professor McGonagall, to see if they were watching. The layers of paper falling away, Lily revealed a box, very plain. Apprehension growing in her chest, she slit open the lid, and reached a hand cautiously inside.

Lily drew a ball out of the box. It was perfect in shape, and fit into the palm of her hand as if it had been made exactly for her.

"Wow." Breathed Lily, completely lost for words by the gift she had thought to be a mean joke.

"See, I told you she would like it Peter." Sirius said

"What does it do?" Lily wanted to know.

"Well, if you have a particular happy memory, it will seep into the ball. Just from holding it in your hand for about a minute- look, it's doing it already!" James exclaimed, as everyone leant in closer to see the small picture that was slowly appearing in the foggy glass.

Two young girls were sitting in a very large and comfortable looking tree. The youngest had flaming red piggy-tails, and was wearing a pointed hat. The other had blonde hair, and was waving a stick around, chanting. Both had huge grins on their faces, and seemed to be having the best of times. As the picture slowly faded out, Lily felt the familiar pricking sensation behind her eyes, and on the pretense of yawning, wiped a hand across them.

"Was that ikkle Lily?" Sirius asked, grinning widely

"And ikkle Petunia" Lily said dryly, allowing herself a moment of anger that that memory, of all the happy ones she had, would be the first to surface.

"Hey, look, there's more too." Remus said, trying to look again. But Lily slipped the ball into the pocket of her robes

"That's enough happy memories for now." She declared, giving them each a hug and a thank-you for her gift.

"I have to leave too." Lily said, grabbing the bagel and abandoning the rest of her food. "I'll see you all Monday, shall I?" Not waiting for a response, Lily skipped out of the room, elated by her gift, and the prospect of spending a weekend in Hogsmeade.

"Lily, it really is great to have you visit." Mrs. McKinnon said, spooning beans onto Lily's plate in a motherly gesture that Lily appreciated.

"It's great to be here!" Lily said, and meant it. Being in the McKinnon's house was almost like spending time with her own family.

"Mum, thanks for taking Lily and me shopping!" Ann exclaimed, smiling as she glanced at the bags still sitting by the door. "I can't wait to go to the ball, especially dressed as a faerie! Don't you think it suits me, Lil? And how about Lily's costume, eh mum? Isn't it pretty?" she laughed.

"It's going to be wonderful, I am sure. How about you girls go change into your costumes, and show them to us before we eat?"

"All right, lets go then Lily!" Ann exclaimed, pushing her chair back so hard that the legs scraped the floor, making everyone grimace. The two girls flew upstairs, bags in hand, and began to dress.

Ann was dressed before Lily, who had opted to do so in the bathroom, so that she could see to do up her buttons. 

"I am just going to get mum to fasten this hook, Lily!" Ann called, running down stairs. Lily smiled to herself, she really could not wait for the ball. She could just imagine herself, gliding into the great hall, radiant in her dress. All eyes would turn to her, and people would whisper "Who is that lovely witch?" and…Lily broke out of her fantasy as she became aware of someone screaming, and heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs. She left the bathroom that adjoined Ann's room, this being the only exit, and was just about to leave the bedroom when Ann came running in, face flushed, and eyes bright with tears. 

"Ann, what's wrong?" Lily cried. But her friend's eyes stared back at her, cold as marble.

"Lily, you're my best friend, honest to god you are, but that's no reason for you to be hurt. I am sorry, I really am." Ann said, giving her friend a quick hug before she ran out the door, slamming it as she went. Lily tore to the doorway, and desperately tried to open it, but the muttering of a spell told her that her efforts were useless.

"Ann! Open the door now!" Lily cried, aware of the silence that remained after her friend, and of the noises coming from downstairs. "Open the damn door! Now! Ann!" Lily was sobbing, beating her fists against the door in the agony of knowing that something was happening, and not knowing what it was. Pulling out her wand, she spelled the door again and again, muttering all of the charms- and curses, whether magical or otherwise- that she knew. It was not until she stopped, gulping for breath, that she realized the noises downstairs had stopped, and that an eerie silence had begun to rise up through the house, penetrating the rooms slowly and deliberately. As Lily tried the handle again, the door opened, admitting her to the main hall. Carefully, Lily tiptoed down the stairs, clutching her wand like a spear.

The house was ghostly silent, as if someone had placed a spell over every particle in it, and Lily was intruding on a burial of some kind. She walked through the living room, and into the main hall, which adjoined the dining room. The sight her unfortunate eyes met there made her recoil in shock and fear. The McKinnons were scattered; as if by a giant hand; across the room. The dinner on the table was destroyed, perhaps by the fact that the table had been split in half. Lily, forcing herself to walk through the carnage, saw Ann, face down on the floor. Later, Lily would recognize this time as the second she lost what little sanity remained, and fell to her knees on the floor, sobbing as uncontrollably as she had when she was three. 

James Potter stopped in the middle of writing a sentence on his homework. He had just felt an irresistible urge to see Lily. It was as if something was tugging at his mind, and he really couldn't put it out of the way.

"I am going to Hogsmeade." He announced. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Tell Lily I said hello." He said, returning to the book her had been reading. James managed a small grin, but the feeling of immense foreboding he had felt the other night returned, and he dashed off for the statue of the hump backed witch, forgetting the invisibility cloak entirely.

__

When he came to the McKinnon's house, James saw that the door was opened wide. This struck him as odd, very, very odd. As he walked inside, he heard wild sobbing, and saw a crumpled figure on the floor in the room adjoining the hall.

"Lily?" James took a couple of steps forward, and saw her sitting on the wooden floor, her head in her hands. She was white, and her hair made it seem as if she was on fire.

Come my love, I'll tell you a tale  
of a boy and girl, and their love story,

Lily didn't look up, but he could hear her sobs, raking her body.

__

  
and how he loved her oh, so much,  


"Lily." James knelt beside the girl, and put a hand on her shoulder. 

"Get lost James." Lily snarled, recoiling from James. This stung him. He felt tears well up in his eyes. Everything was going wrong and Lily didn't even care for him. He took several deep breaths, to steady himself. But they came out choked. Lily raised her head to see that James –James Potter- was crying! 

and all the charms she did possess.

"James?" Lily put one hand on his knee, trying to comfort him through her tears. 

"My god, Lily,. Oh my god." Lily turned to James.

"Don't cry, James." Was all she could think to say. "Your not supposed to cry."

"Why not, Lily. I knew Ann too..."

"Your not supposed to cry! Not in front of me!"

James almost smiled through his tears "That's awfully sexist, Lily Evans" he remarked, reaching one hand up to touch her chin. Lily reached up, and squeezed his hand.

"Don't cry, James. I hate it when people I love cry."

Now this did happen once upon a time  
When things were not so complex,

James looked at Lily carefully, not fully comprehending what she had said. He realized that Lily still had her pale white hand over his.

"Didn't you hear me, James?" Lily said, putting her hand on the side of his face "I said I love you." James smiled, and felt warm water drip onto his hand. Lily was crying too. Her green eyes looked into his, and he could see trust and love in them.

  
And how he worshipped the ground she walked.  
When he looked in her eyes, he became obsessed.

Lily wrapped her arms around James, and buried her face in his neck "I love you too, Lily." He said, stroking her hair, hardly able to believe that Lily had finally said it. Lily finally loved him._  
  
  
My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.  
My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;  
it's as real as the feelings I feel._

"I am sorry James." Lily moved backwards to look at him, her arms still around his shoulders. "I am sorry I was so mean. I was scared."

"Are you still scared?" James asked. Lily nodded solemnly.

"Yes, but not like I was before. Do you understand? I think everyone's scared the way I am now, James."_  
  
This love was stronger than the powers so dark,  
A man could have within his keeping;_

"He might be powerful, Lily. But it doesn't mean we can't beat him. You remember how the old saying goes. Love conquers all?"

"Yes."

"I think it has some truth to it. Even if I died loving you, I'd be dying happy" James said, and meant it.

__

  
His spells to weave and steal a heart  
Within her, but only sleeping.

Lily broke out of the spell she was in. All around them was silence, thick as oil. The pale green mist was still floating around her, and she could make out the shapes of bodies in it. 

__

The McKinnons She though. 

It seemed like so long ago that the whole thing happened. She could feel James tense as he looked around. He hadn't noticed the carnage when he burst in, he'd only seen Lily, and had panicked. For one sick moment, he had thought that she was dead. 

My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.  
My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;  
it's as real as the feelings I feel.

"James?" Lily said, shivering "Do you hear that?" James listened, and he could make out the faint sound of voices. 

" Do you think it's him?" Lily asked

"I don't know, Lily. Stay still, I don't have my cloak." Lily sat closer to James, and he wrapped his arms around her. They both watched the space where the door had been. A figure stepped into the room, robes swirling. Lily drew her wand, and waited. As the fog began to clear. The figure of Albus Dumbledore became visible. He looked down at Lily and James, clearly not surprised.

"Miss. Evans, Mr. Potter, are you alright?" he asked. Lily looked up at James, who smiled at her.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledor, we're alright" she said_  
  
He said, "Don't you know I love you oh, so much,_

And lay my heart at the foot of your dress?"

As they were lead out of the house, James squeezed Lily tightly. "Will you tell me everything that happened?" he asked her. Lily nodded 

"Yes, but you'll have to give me some time. And you'll have to stay with me while I am telling it, right beside me." She felt a tear trickle down her face as she looked back at the house. As they met up with the ministry wizards, a young woman pushed in front of Lily and James. Lily recognized her as Rita Skeeter, a recent graduate of Hogwarts.

"Do you have any comments on what happened here? Did you see You-Know-Who? How many were in the house?" she asked them. Lily looked at her, an expression of disgust on her face.

"Don't you have any respect for the dead?" she asked, pulling herself away from James "Can't you see that people died here. Death is final. They aren't coming back. Give them some respect, and get out of here!" The last sentence was shouted, making the other wizards and witches look at her. Rita hung her head, abashed, and disappeared.

__

  
She said, "Don't you know that storybook loves  
Always have a happy ending?"

"You were great" James whispered in Lily's ear as they sat in the special Ministry car on their way back to Hogwarts.

Lily rested her head on his shoulder " No I wasn't. I was truthful" she said, her insides churning with emotions. She still couldn't believe that Ann was dead, and she couldn't erase everything that had happened from her memory. She could still see it all. And she had James, she had her head on his shoulder. 

__

If I hadn't just experienced it, I'd be willing to bet a million dollars it's all a dream. Lily thought as the towers of Hogwarts came into view, the sun rising behind them like a crown.

A/N My goodness, how corny can we get here? Not much cornier, I am glad to say. At least, not for me. Did I ever mention I am not so hot at writing romances? Well, I am saying it now. 

Thumper, was that enough excitement for you ?J

I plan to have another chapter, but I don't know wether I should continue the story after…..honestly, what do you guys think? I could do a sequel, or just continue with chapters or soemthing……you opinions would be pechy keene! 

Disclaimer: which I've been forgetting, I own nothing you have read of in the Harry Potter books. I don't even own Ann, well at least, not her last name.

Please review!


	17. Everything is alright in the end. If it'...

A/N did it say anywhere that Lily and James were Head Boy and Head Girl

A/N did it say anywhere that Lily and James were Head Boy and Head Girl? AS in, officially by JKR? Lets say that Lily and James are Prefects, then, alright? I might have mentioned that Lily was but…….yeah.

Dumbledore escorted Lily and James back to Hogwarts, and into the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey was beside herself with worry over them, especially Lily, who seemed to have a blank look on her face. James squeezed Lily's hand, which he had not let go of since they were in the carriage. She squeezed his back, and some of the pain left her eyes, but James could tell that Lily was still in shock.

"We'll get her into bed." Madame Pomfrey said with a pointed look at James. Realizing that this would mean changing Lily's clothes, James reluctantly let go of her hand, and went to wait outside the curtains.

"Alright Mr. Potter, you can come back." Madame Pomfrey said a few minutes later, a reluctant tone in her voice. James went in, and sat beside a sleeping Lily. Without thinking, he reached over and grabbed her thin white hand, kissing the top of it. Then he rested his head on the back of the chair, and, still holding her hand, drifted off to sleep.

Lily woke up feeling sick. And, on closer examination of her surrounding, she found that they were very white. A weight on her hand made her lift her head, and she saw that her hand was attached to that of another person; a boy with messy black hair, who was fast asleep, his head on the back of his chair. He snoring softly, despite the uncomfortable position, and Lily smiled warmly at him. He looked awfully cute and innocent, and she wasn't sure she wanted to wake him up. But, as if it was his nature to be contrary, James' brown eyes fluttered open. (A/N that doesn't seem right, I mean, it makes me think of James fluttering his eyelashes. Weird, very weird.)

"Lily." James sat up, part of a rather nice dream fading away.(A/N don't ask me what teenage boys-specially James Potter- dream about. I haven't the foggiest)

"Hi James." Lily said, squeezing the hand that was attached to hers.

"Are you alright Lily?" James sat forward, and brushed some hair out of Lily's eyes. Lily nodded, before she too leant forward, and placed the first real kiss of their relationship on his lips. James smiled slightly, and leant into it. Suddenly, someone cleared their throat, and Lily jumped back, turning red.

"Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, sorry to interrupt you, but I need to talk to you both." Professor Dumbledore said, smiling at them. Lily settled back in bed, and James sat up in his chair, grimacing slightly at the pain in his neck.

"First of all, I will tell you the impersonal Ministry notice. It reads: This bulletin is being sent out to warn all wizards of high import that the McKinnon clan, highly noted in our society, have been wiped by the followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, who call themselves Death Eaters. The McKinnons were known to produce highly powerful wizards, who had the potential to stand in the way of You-Know-Who's up-rise. Clans left who are still in danger are the Potter Clan, the Connely Clan, and the Longbottom clan, as well as one unnamed Muggle-born student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who possesses the potential to take down You-Know-Who." Dumbledore stopped, and looked at Lily.

"Me?" she asked, her voice very even.

"Yes, Miss. Evans, you. You have potential as a witch. Your power is great, and Voldemort wishes to tap the power of great witches and wizards." Professor Dumbledore said, a look of great empathy on his face.

"Alright, Professor." Lily couldn't believe herself- she felt numb, as if the news hadn't been more than him telling her that she could go to Hogsmeade or something as utterly trivial. 

"Are you feeling quite well, Miss. Evans?" Professor Dumbledore asked, looking worried.

"I am fine" Lily started to say, but stopped as she realized that she wasn't. She had the strange feeling that she got right before she threw up. Quickly, she let go of James' hand, and raced for the door that led to the bathroom. Loud retching noises could be heard coming from within. When Lily came back out some 5 minutes later, her face was sickly pale, and she looked as if she had been 'through the wringer' several times. James got up to help her, but she shook her head, and made her way unsteadily to her white bed, where she flopped down on the pillows.

"Lily, later, I want you to come by my office- yes James, you may come as well- and tell me what happened, if you will." Lily nodded "Alright then, I leave you to you own devices" Dumbledore said, and left.

"I am guessing you don't want to kiss me if I've been throwing up." Lily said, smiling ruefully at James.

"No offence." James said, and kissed Lily on the forehead.

"None taken. I am going to go to sleep, James. I am awfully tired and I don't feel…right." Lily said, nestling into the covers. James smiled, kissed her forehead again, and went to grab them some breakfast.

"James!" Angelica screamed, pouncing on him, and grabbing his arm. "Is Lily alright? What happened?" Sirius joined his girl friend's attack on James, who looked dumbstruck.

"She's alright…sort of. I mean, who would be alright if they saw what she did?" James said, grabbing the two plates he had filled with food, and began to walk away.

"James! Your being perfectly beastly no to say anything else! Is she really alright? Did that bastard hurt her?" Angelica demanded, grabbing one of the plates from James.

"Come see for yourself, she's asleep, but I am sure she'll wake up soon." James said, not mentioning what had happened between himself and Lily, somehow, he didn't want to tell anyone yet.

They all followed him to the hospital wing, and behind the curtains to find Lily sitting up in bed, reading a book entitled "**_Dangerous Charms and How to Use Them."_**

Angelica ran up to her friend and hugged her, knocking the book out of the way. Lily hugged Angelica just as tightly, a few tears escaping her eyes.

"Are you alright, Lily?" Sirius asked, then tried to catch Lily's muffled answer, which was spoken into Angelica's shoulder.

"Pardon?"

"I said I am not sure if I am or not." Lily informed him, breaking her hug with Angelica.

"Oh. I am sorry." It was Sirius' turn to hug Lily, and after doing so, James hugged her tightly, just because he felt left out.

"Where did that book come from?" he asked, indicating the Dangerous Charms book.

"Professor McGonagall came in, and she though I was asleep, so she left it on my table, and I got so curious, that I stopped trying to fall asleep, and opened the book. It's great. Lots of defense curses in it." Lily said, shooting a meaningful look at James. "It could come in handy."

"Lily. You look really pale." Angelica commented.

"Funny, I don't feel pale." Lily retorted. "In fact, I want to leave. Right now."

James started at her. "Over my dead body." He said, then regretted it instantly. "I meant, sorry Lil. But no leaving, not until your better."

"What are you, my mother?" Lily demanded, glaring at James reproachfully. 

"No, but I don't want you to get hurt because you left too soon."

"I am 16, James."

"Your not 16 yet, Lily. Not until 12:00 am."

"It's 10:30! I am closer to 16 than I am 15!"

"Still, you should stay." James cautioned. Lily's glare deepened.

"Make me." she said, raising an eyebrow at him before she swung both feet over the bed, and onto the floor. James stood up.

"I will. I'll drag you back into that bed if I have to."

"Now James, I know you want to get me into bed, but really." Lily joked, and to her surprise, James flushed and glared at her. Sirius broke into raucous laughter, and slapped Lily on the back rather heartily. 

"I am sorry James. I didn't mean it." Lily said, smiling at him. James tried to keep up the frown, but failed and grinned instead.

"It's alright."

"Besides, Lil, the truth hurts." Sirius chimed in, earning a light slap from Lily.

"Come on, I think I should leave. It's not as if Voldemort tried to hurt me."

"His death eaters just attacked a house that you happened to be staying in, killing everyone except you." James said, grabbing Lily's hand and trying to pull her back to the bed.

"I don't care."Lily slipped her hand out of his, grabbed her wand and robes from the table beside her bed, and left the hospital wing (A/N that would have gone on forever had I not done something) Angelica shrugged and followed her out, leaving James and Sirius to explain to Madame Pomfrey her patients absence.

When she walked through the portrait hole, Lily realized that she was wearing her nightgown, and that she must look ridiculous, because the aforementioned garment had dancing sheep all over it. Lily blushed slightly, and found that Angelica was grinning at her. Lily raised her eyebrows.

"You and James seemed awful chummy back there." Angelica said, smiling as she grabbed Lily's robes, which had slipped to the floor.

"Thanks." Lily said, taking her robes "We're friends, of course we're 'chummy'" Angelica grinned, but didn't say anything else. Lily, face aflame, fled to her dormitory in hopes of some extra study/thinking time, hoping Angelica remained dense to what had actually happened between her and James.

Over the next few days Hogwarts seemed to be filled with people who would not smile. The McKinnons death had frightened everyone, and those who had know the clan felt especially sad. Lily wouldn't even smile at James' and Sirius' antics. None of their friends knew about Lily and James. They'd come to a mutual agreement not to tell them yet, although neither were sure why they didn't want anyone to know. The Halloween Ball had been cancelled, and although there was a great disappointment, no one argued much. Even the feast was subdued. When classes started, Lily thrust herself into them, studying hard and trying not to think about Ann or her family. One Wednesday, when she was sitting in the library, Celia Woodgrove ran over to her, accompanied by another smaller girl, sporting the same curls as Celia. Lily put her book aside, and turned to smile at them. She was feeling a little sorry for herself these days, despite the support of her friends and James.

"Hi hi Lily!" Celia skidded to a halt, banging her Charms book down on the desk.

"Hi Celia." Lily said "Do you need Charms help again?"

"Yes. Danielle and me, if it's not too much trouble." She looked around excitedly "Is James here?"

Lily felt her cheeks grow red at the mention of James, but was surprised that when she opened her mouth to speak, a rather male voice answered for her

"Yes, yes he is."

Lily looked behind her to see James, clutching his book of Charms, and grinning from ear to ear.

"Lil, I need a little Charms help, if that's alright." He said, sitting down beside Lily. Lily grinned, and looked at Celia and Danielle. "I guess I can help all of you…" she said, only to be engulfed in a large hug courtesy of Celia. 

"Alright, alright , sit down." Lily said, opening Celia's charms book as the sisters sat down at her table. Just as she was about to ask what Charm it was, James jumped up, and grabbed her wrist. "Lily, can you come help me find that advanced Charms book you were telling me about? We'll be right back, ladies." He said, grinning at Celia and Danielle, who giggled as James pulled Lily away into the bookshelves.

"James, what are you taking about? I've never mentioned the Advanced Charms book to you." Lily said, trying to sound stern, but failing miserably.

"I wanted a chance to talk to you alone, and haven't gotten one until just now." James replied, sliding his grip on her wrist down to her hand, making Lily look around to see if anyone was watching them. No one was. James stepped closer to Lily so that their noses were almost touching.

"I wanted to ask a certain girl if she wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me." He whispered, eyes twinkling.

"Which girl would that be?" Lily asked innocently, making James grin. "Of course I'll go with you James." She said, leaning forward to kiss him quickly before she handed him a book from one of the shelves.

James read the title and grinned "Advanced Charms? All I care about is _your _charms, Miss. Evans." Lily laughed.

"That's awfully corny!" she admonished "We should get back, Celia and Danielle probably think that we've run off on them."

"Would that be so bad?" James asked.

"Yes, it would. Come on." Lily squeezed his hand before letting go, and walked out of the shelves, James right behind her.

****

A/N

Thanks for the great reviews, I never ever saw myself getting over 60 on this story!!!!! Yipee!!! And Naavi0, your right, Celia is supposed to be like Colin! Celia, Colin, Dennis, Danielle. It wasn't supposed to be like that at first, but it ended up being after the first little bit with Celia. Thanks for noticing!!!!! 

Disclaimer: right, ok. Very good point made by Dumbledore, who reviewed. I should write down the names of the songs I use! So, the first was Wishin' and Hopin' by Ani DiFranco, and the second was "Storybook Love" from the movie "The Princess Bride" which is quite a favorite of mine.


	18. 

"Lily, darling

"Lily, darling!"

"Shh, James, the point of sneaking out is _sneaking_ out. Not jumping around like a small elephant." Lily giggled, wondering where her common sense had fled to, because it felt as if her brains had left her head several floors back. And she was skipping Divination to go to Hogsmeade with James.

"Here's the humpbacked witch, now, watch me Lily, you-"

"Tap the statue and say the magic words." Lily finished for him, errupting in a fit of laughter at the surprised look he gave her.

"you do realize that out friends are going to wonder where we went."

"Let them wonder!" Lily cried, dancing away from James down the passageway.

"Lily!" James hissed, grabbing the girls arm. Lily only grinned at him, and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Jamie, loosen up!" she chortled

"Jamie?" James raised an eyebrow "Did someone put a cheering charm on you,Lily?"

"Nope" Lily beamed "Sirius gave me some of his happy bans because he said I seemed so sad." James groaned. He'd had bad experiences involving Sirius' happy beans and girls. One such incident involved a bald patch "appearing" on his head. Lily giggled again, then hiccuped.

"Here's the door, be quiet Lily!" James said, opening the door, and reminding himself to get rid of the bean when they got outside. He pulled Lily behind the counter, then into one of the aisles. As they walke dout, Lily saw a sign for Leprechaun pops, and burst out laughing, as James yanked her outside amid the curious looks they were getting.

"Ooooh! Jamie! Look at that!" Lily squealed, her ditzyness peaking as the bean began to wear off. She was pointing at a glorious broom in the window of the Quidditch Supplies Shope. If he had been less ashamed of it, James would have squealed too. The broom was made of georgous dark mahogany, and polished until it seemed to reflect his adoring face. The twigs were perfectly straight, and moulded to give the rider swift movement in the air. The handle was just a little sunk in, to allow for betetr grip, and the long of the broom was painted with a gold that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.

"Isn't it lovely?" Lily whispered. He nodded happily. 

"Jamie" Lily tugged at his arm "Let's go inside and take a l-l-l" suddenly, she sneezed, and a small bright yellow bean came flying out of her nose.

"Oh my" Lily picked up the bean "I am going to kill Sirius. He said it would make me feel happier, not act like a complete bimbo!"

James suppressed a grin "I dunno, your kinda cute when your giddy" he said, causing Lily to blush.

"I know." She said in mock arrogance "I am cute all of the time" Lily pressed her nose against James', and he closed the space between the, and kissed Lily. The remembrance of all of the people in Hogsmeade almost stopped Lily, but she let the thought drop, and put her arms around James waist. One only got this chance once in a lifetime, why waste it?

Passersby either grunted and hurried off, or smiled indulgently at the couple, who seemed so blissfully unaware of them. One man carrying a camera snapped a picture of the young witch and wizard, grinning as he too hurried off.

Lily woke up on the Saturday after her Hogsmeade rendezvous with James to an owl's hooting. The bird was perched on her bed, the latest copy of "The Daily Prophet" in it's claws. Lily paid it two sickles, and opened the paper. She flipped through it, wrinkling her nose at Rita Skeeters coloum, and feeling tiny pinpricks of tears as she read about Voldemorts latest killing. Then he eyes fell on the page next to the Voldemort story. There, in full color, was a picture of a young witch and wizard, locked in a passionate kiss outside the Quidditch Supplies Shop in Hogsmeade. The article beside it read:

**__**

True Love is Not Dead

By: Angela A.

Even in the rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the unbridled love that this young witch and wizard show is pure and beautiful. When I walked by them kissing otuside the Quidditch shop, I had to stop and take a picture. Why? Because it lifted my heart to see that although You-Know-Who has been killing and terrifying the magical community, the young are still around to remid us that love is equally as important in the fight against evil as anything else. I want to wish this young couple much happiness in the future. They symbolize the love that should be felt in this time of trouble., and I 'd also like to beg an invitation to the wedding.

The young witch had flaming red hair. The young wizard had black unruly hair. Both were dressed in Hogwarts robes. As the witch moved away, her face was hidden by her hair, but the young wizard was clearly identifiable as James Potter. Lily gulped, and crawled beneath her covers again. This was _not_ going to be a good day after all.

"Jaaaaaaaames! Wake uuuuuup!" James attempted to swat the the not-so-musical voice of Sirius, but missed.

"I think you'll want to give us an explination for this photo before we make one up ourselves!" Remus chimed in, laughter evident in his voice.

"What photo?" James asked, too lazy to open his eyes.

"the one of you and some _redhead_ snogging outside the broom shop in Hogsmeade!" Sirius crowed,and, jumping away from the now very awake James, he began to read the article in a gushing and very shrill falsetto voice. James jumped out of bed, and grabbed the article from his friend. As his eyes fell on the photo, he had to surpress a grin. Lily would be so embarassed, and so would he, but he was also kind of glad that someone else had told their friends instead of him.

"Oh, Sirius, I've been meaning to tell you that girl is-"

"Molly Weasley! Arthur's going to be so angry!" Sirius said gleefully. Molly had graduated the year before, and Arthur was her steady boyfriend.

"What?" James asked, not believing that Sirius could be so dense.

"Sneaking out for secret meeting with Molly, eh James?" Sirius said. James shot Remus a look. Remus looked as confused as he did.

"Sirius, it's Lily." Remus said, his voice just a little condescending.

"I know that you git, I just wanted James to say it." Sirius said, glaring at Remus.

"Oh. So James, you guys hooked up at Hogsmeade didja? I can picture it, Lily walking along, her robes clinging nicely, her hair flaming under the bright sun. You see her, you smile, she smiles, you feel-"

"Since Halloween." James said, interrupting Sirius because he knew that his best friends mind was born and raised in the gutter.

"What?!" Sirius and Remus chroused.

"Yes. You might as well know. We didn't want to say anything, but…" James trailed off, as it was obvious that the newspaper had said it for them.

Sirius grinned.

"Well Prongs old man, with my great divination powers, I can see you living a long and productive life- very productive- now………tell us everything." Sirius said, reminding James of an old granny hounding for gossip.

"Is that all that happened to them, then?" the tall red-haired boy asked, looking at the man sitting before him, whose graying hair and wrinkles could not mask the twinkle that still held residence in his black eyes.

"Of course it's not James!" the little girl sitting beside him exclaimed haughtily "It isn't, is it Sirius?" 

"No. After they graduated, they became engaged, and eventually got married. We wrote all of our experiences down for Lily right after graduation- it was so important for her to remember everything. James became an Auror, along with myself. In fact, everything in that future Potion came true. They gave birth to Harry, and died for him." The man stopped for a moment as he needed to regain his composure. This gave the little girl the opportunity to ask a question that had been plaguing her.

"And what about Angelica? What happened to her?" she asked, smoothing her own black curls with the gesture she had seen grown ladies use. The old man's face fell, and the wrinkles, which had already been visible, deepened.

"We lost touch a few years after graduation. Eventually, she became involved with Voldemort and his people, along with Peter. But, like Professor Snape, her name was cleared, and she went into hiding. A few years after Voldemort fell, she turned her wand on herself because she couldn't live with what she had done."

"You loved her lots, didn't you Sirius?" the little girl asked as her older brother groaned loudly at the mention of the "L" word.

"Yes I did Lily." Sirius said, punching James lightly on the shoulder "And now that you have heard the story of your namesakes, you can stop wondering what's in this old book." He said, smiling warmly at the two children. After a few moments, a far off shout reminded the children that their mother wanted them, and Sirius watched them scuttle out of the attic where they had been seated.

He sat in silent tenet for awhile, lightly stroking the picture on the front of the book, in which half a dozen happy teenagers smiled back at him. Then he carefully opened it to the first page, on which an inscription was written in Lily's unmistakable scrawl.

__

This book is a giant cluster of memories. It is dedicated to the lives of, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Angelica Ward, Peter Pettigrew, and myself, Lily Evans(now Potter). It is written by each of them, telling of their lives since they first met in their fifth year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Should the walls of Hogwarts crumble, the world spin out of orbit, the school fall down, or one of Professor Binns' classes become interesting, they will remain friends beyond even after the course of their lives has come to a halt. This book was finished on May 7th, 1978 by the aforementioned people, and we wish whomever reads it:

Best Wishes

-Angelica Ward

Fondest regards old chum!

-Peter Pettigrew

-A long happy past and a brilliant future

-Remus Lupin

Joy, happiness, and plenty of good times

-Sirius

Friends as good as any I have had

-James Potter

The love I have felt from everyone who wrote in this book. May you have friends as close as this in your lifetime and beyond.

-Lily Evans Potter

Sorry I never told you  
All I wanted to say  
Now it's too late to hold you  
'Cause you've flown away  
So far away  
Never had I imagined  
Living without your smile  
Feeling and knowing you hear me  
It keeps me alive  
Alive  
  
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven  
Like so many friends we've lost along the way  
And I know eventually we'll be together  
One sweet day  


Darling I never showed you  
Assumed you'd always be there  
Took your presence for granted  
But I always cared  
And I miss the love we shared  
  
Although the sun will shine the same  
I'll always look to a brighter day  
Lord I know when I lay me down to sleep  
You will always listen as I pray

And I know you're shining down on me from heaven  
Like so many friends we've lost along the way  
And I know eventually we'll be together  
One sweet day  
  
One Sweet Day

__

A/N: *sobs* My fic is over! And it's the longest I've ever written! I know I left some ends untied, but use your imaginations. You have them, I know you do. I thought the ending was rather sad myself, although somewhat sappy. I might try writing another L/J fic, more original perhaps *g*, and now, I want to thank everyone who reviewed, because your what made me want to write more. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Owwww, my teeth hurt. Because the fic was so fluffy? Nah. Because I've just been to the dentist, and dentists hurt very, very much. Owwwww!

__


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